


The Art of Sneaking

by ScribbleSibyl



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged Up, M/M, Smut, dub con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-05 20:15:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 79,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1830922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbleSibyl/pseuds/ScribbleSibyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cartman finds something that he never expected Kyle to have. Story gets fairly dirty as the chapters go on. Smut, Complete</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1:: Unzipped**_  
  
It had to be here somewhere, Cartman thought. Somewhere in the room.  
The time was about 2 am now on Friday but then again, it being 2 am made it technically Saturday. Cartman had recently lost his notebook; the one that he’d brainstorm and plot out any ideas he had to achieve success onto. He had been working on a new plan involving conning all the students at school out of their lunch money. It was going to be perfect. But just a few days after making the plan, Cartman’s entire notebook went missing.   
  
Whenever something of Cartman’s went missing the first place he would check was Kyle’s room. Just in case Kyle was trying to thwart another one of Cartman’s plans. Just in case he somehow found out. So that’s why he was here, at the Broflovski’s house. Cartman was very familiar with Kyle’s room. He knew the best way to sneak in and out, he knew how Kyle sorted his belongings… hell, he had even gotten familiar with Kyle’s sleep pattern. In short, he was a master at raiding Kyle’s room.

But each time he had to be thorough; if the sneaky jew somehow knew that Cartman might be sneaking into his room to take his belongings back, there was a chance he would’ve hidden them in a place he thought Cartman would never look. Cartman had to check everywhere for his notebook.

The flicker of the small flashlight ran through all the cracks between Kyle’s furniture, just in case he hid it somewhere super sneaky. But even though Cartman checked thoroughly, under each and every last article of jew clothing in the drawers, his notebook was nowhere to be seen. Cartman sat back and thought to himself silently. He needed that notebook back. If Kyle had it, what would be the safest place to put it?

A lightbulb went on in Cartman’s genius brain. Kyle’s own body. That would be a place that almost no one would check! Cartman quickly but quietly scampered over to Kyle’s sleeping person. Before his search began, he took a moment to look him over just to make sure he was fast asleep.

The 14-year-old jewish boy lied silently on his back, his small body hardly taking up any space on his much larger bed. Dumb jew— he always wore his little green hat to bed with him. Did he really hate his hair that much?

Cartman leaned down towards Kyle, carefully beginning his search. Carefully slipping his hand under his pillow to check for his notebook, Cartman’s eyes were plastered on Kyle’s sleeping face to watch if he reacted. There was no reaction. Cartman then reached under the covers and ran his hand, as lightly as he could, over Kyle’s pajama shirt. No notebook there either. Cartman slipped his hand off of his sleeping friend’s torso when Kyle stirred slightly.

After a moment of waiting, Cartman trailed his fingers across and over Kyle’s pajama pants to check for the notebook. This admittedly made him feel a bit dirty, but he focused on his work. As his fingers slipped to the outer side of Kyle’s leg, Cartman noticed that there was something under Kyle’s legs. He carefully pulled Kyle’s covers up and poked his head along with his tiny flashlight under the blankets.

There, a book. He could see the pages of a book very clearly. So the jew did have his notebook! This was the first time Kyle actually ended up having something Cartman accused him of having. He snatched the book out from under Kyle’s legs and pulled out of the covers to look at the book.

Cartman quirked a curious eyebrow when he found that it wasn’t his notebook that Kyle had under his legs. It was a magazine. Not just any magazine either… a porn mag.  _Unzipped_  was the title, and on the cover there was a very toned looking shirtless man giving Cartman bedroom eyes.

Cartman curiously flipped the book open and feasted his eyes on practically endless amounts of men touching each other and posing seductively. This was definitely something he didn’t expect to see in Kyle’s room. Just then, the creaking sound of a bed caused Cartman to jump. As he tore his eyes away from the magazine, he was faced with a very awake Kyle, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Cartman…"

Kyle’s voice was laced with venom. His posture signaled that he was ready to leap off the bed and kick Cartman’s ass. Cartman flashed his best innocent smile.

"Kahl! What are you doing here?" Cartman chimed, speaking rather quickly. "Oh, is this your house? Gee I must’ve been sleep walking again! Well I’ll just show myself out." After the long string of words, Cartman hurriedly started for the window with the magazine in hand. A gasp hitched in his throat as a forearm flung around his neck and he was suddenly pulled into a headlock by Kyle.

"Give it back," Kyle growled through his teeth. Cartman squirmed under his smaller friend’s grasp. Given the right circumstances, he could very easily fling Kyle off of him and make his escape, but that seemed entirely unnecessary for the situation. He gave in quite easily, handing the magazine back to Kyle. This unfortunately didn’t make Kyle release Cartman from his headlock, despite Cartman tapping Kyle’s arm for him to do so.

"You can let go now," Cartman strained.

Kyle was very red in the face, though it was hard to tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. Maybe both. Probably both. “How did you know about this, fatass?” Kyle snarled, his forearm squeezing against Cartman’s neck as he emphasized the last word.

"I didn’t, I snuck in here to check if you had something of mine," Cartman insisted, coughing. "I lost my notebook."

Kyle continued to glare at the boy, but loosened his grip so that Cartman could pull away. Cartman tried to control his coughs as he straightened himself up. He glanced at Kyle’s irritated face for a moment longer, then attempted to go towards the window once again. Kyle grabbed onto the larger boy’s arm before he could head out.

"Cartman, you can’t say anything about this to anyone." Kyle insisted. He tried to force his tone to be intimidating, but he couldn’t help but come off as a little worried. Cartman opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by an alarmed voice from Kyle’s doorway.

"Eric?!" The voice nearly shouted. Kyle’s face went pale as he hesitated to turn around.  They must have made too much noise when they scrambled into the headlock, and it alerted Kyle’s family.

Now Kyle’s father Gerald stood in his doorway staring incredulously at the two boys, and had noticed the magazine in his son’s hand. “What’s going on here— why do you have that, Kyle?!” Kyle’s father asked sounding very angry, walking towards the two of them in a frighteningly quick manner.

Kyle staggered back. If either of Kyle’s parents found out his secret it would certainly be the end of his comfortable life.

"Dad I can explain—" Kyle barely managed to say. Just then, his magazine was snatched out of his hand.

To Kyle’s surprise, it was Cartman that had taken it away, not Gerald.

"Your son’s been blackmailing me, Mr. Broflovski." Cartman quickly spoke, trying to sound somewhat hurt. Gerald was taken by surprise and confused by what the brown haired boy was saying. "He found out I’ve been in the closet when he saw my porn magazine in my backpack, and he took it from me. He’s been making me be nice to him all day every day for 2 weeks now. I just came over to get it back." Cartman paused briefly in order for the information to sink in. Gerald’s expression had indeed changed significantly. Cartman turned back to Kyle. 

"Take that Kyle! Now I don’t have to do shit for you!" Cartman made a show of getting in Kyle’s face and boasting, but Kyle was so surprised by what Cartman was saying that he didn’t bother getting annoyed. 

"…Oh," Gerald mumbled to himself. He soon straightened himself up and looked reprovingly at Kyle. "Kyle, you shouldn’t use Eric being in the closet as a weapon, even if he is being mean to you. Sexuality is a very sensitive thing in high school. And you certainly shouldn’t pick on Eric for being gay. I raised you to be a tolerant person."

Kyle raised an eyebrow and glanced at Cartman to see if he was seeing the irony of the situation. From the way Cartman’s mouth hung open for a brief moment, Kyle could conclude that he saw it too. Cartman quickly cleared his throat.

"I hope you won’t tell anyone else about what happened here, Mr. Broflovski. If the guys at school knew about this it would ruin me." Cartman said, faking a soft, vulnerable voice. Kyle noticed that Cartman was still holding the magazine in his hand, and it didn’t look like he intended to give it back.

"Of course not, Eric. But you know, you shouldn’t be breaking into people’s houses for any reason. I know it was to get your magazine back, but you should have come to me or Kyle’s mother first." Kyle’s father said waving a scolding finger at Cartman. Kyle frowned at Cartman when he saw the familiar innocent smile that Cartman always faked around his parents.

"I understand. I’ll just be going now," Cartman said, slipping out of Kyle’s window and heading back down the ladder. Kyle watched Cartman from his window as he leisurely put the Broflovski’s ladder back where it belonged and strode down the street like nothing had happened, with Kyle’s magazine in hand.

"Now Kyle," Kyle heard his father start again, "I want you to be careful around Eric. Understand?"

"Careful?" Kyle turned to look questioningly at his father.

"Yes. He might try to do weird things to you."

Kyle got an offended look on his face. “Dad, that’s messed up!”

"It’s very possible, Kyle! He might even rub off on you. So be careful!" Gerald repeated, grabbing the doorknob to begin closing it. "Now get back to bed."

Kyle angrily threw himself onto his bed, grumbling to himself. That was exactly why Kyle was still in the closet. His parents claimed to be tolerant of gays but they would rather die than have a gay son. It would be a disgrace to their family or some shit. It’s a good thing Cartman said what he said, or else Kyle would’ve been—

… Wait.

_Wait._

Cartman just took fall for his gay porn magazine. He just claimed that he was the gay one instead of Kyle. He saved Kyle from the shame of being found out by his parents.

… Why would Cartman do that? Kyle suddenly became nervous.

Whatever the reason was, Cartman must’ve been planning to use it against him. After all, Cartman was now in possession of Kyle’s magazine. That was what scared Kyle the most. Cartman could easily make Kyle do his bidding to keep his mouth shut.   
But… at least it wasn’t over yet. His home life hadn’t been ruined in the blink of an eye, so… At least this way, he had time to figure out what he was going to do about Cartman.

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Tease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyle attempts to get his magazine back. What he gets instead is... pretty interesting.

As he approached the basketball court Kyle glanced at his watch. It was about to hit noon on a Saturday, so that meant that the guys would usually be here playing.

Kyle had gone to Cartman’s house in the morning to try and get his magazine back, but it seemed Mrs. Cartman had some ‘friends’ over. Kyle didn’t want to take his chances there. He’d have to just meet up with Cartman and find an opportunity to confront him about it privately. Knowing Cartman he wouldn’t just spread the news to everyone right off the bat. Blackmailing was his specialty. He’d try to get Kyle to do things for him in exchange for keeping his secret.

Kyle thought to himself on how he could turn this around on Cartman, or maybe get his magazine back. After all, if Cartman didn’t have any proof, all he would have is his word. Nobody in their right mind believed the rumors Cartman spread anymore. Thankfully most people had wised up to his antics. At least, within their group of friends. Cartman was still a master at manipulating strangers.

As he turned the corner, Kyle was met with his 3 other friends playing basketball. Cartman as usual was trying to block Kenny’s shots while calling him poor. It was proving to be good for Cartman that they played basketball so much. His ‘baby fat’ had been shedding off nicely over the last three years. He was still chubby, but at least he wasn’t twice as big as his friends anymore.

Kyle rid himself of his coat onto a nearby bench to join his friends.   
"Oh look, here comes jew boy to ruin the fun," Cartman called as he saw Kyle walking onto the court. Kyle was still a bit nervous that Cartman might’ve told everyone about the magazine already, but the best he could do was act oblivious.

"What’s wrong? Afraid I’m gonna wipe the floor with you again?" Kyle taunted. There was still some venom in his voice because of his current situation with the fatass.

"I’d like to see you try, Jew." Cartman taunted back. Cartman’s responding smirk looked more amused than it should have. The boys all knew Kyle was still better at basketball than most of them. Whenever he played he usually won. But each time, Cartman acted as if Kyle had nothing on them.

"Looks like we’re starting over then," Kenny said, greeting Kyle with his eyes. Kyle smiled at him and Stan as he was handed the ball.

"Aw come on! I was gonna win!" Cartman whined.

"You were like 5 hoops behind me," Stan informed Cartman dismissively.

They continued to play ball for the next hour and a half. Unsurprisingly Kyle made the most shots into the basket, and Cartman accused him of cheating. Nothing out of the usual really. Once the boys were worn out they cooled off and chatted on the picnic benches. It became apparent to Kyle that Cartman hadn’t let the other guys know about the magazine.

He would have to confront Cartman at some point, to ask for his magazine back if nothing else. After some more idle chat, Kyle would have his chance.

Stan and Kenny announced they were hungry and went to get some Shakey’s pizza for the whole group. That left Kyle and Cartman to talk amongst themselves. Cartman prattled on about some random topic, while Kyle mustered up the nerve to say something that would get him in the clear with Cartman.

"I’m surprised you didn’t say anything about me being gay to Stan and Kenny." Kyle remarked, to start things off. Cartman didn’t seem fazed by the sudden change of topic. He might have seen it coming.

"Why would I? It’s not like those two would care what I said unless I had proof." Cartman replied nonchalantly.

"But, you have my magazine." Kyle reminded Cartman, looking somewhat confused. That would be proof enough wouldn’t it? Cartman scoffed.

"Dude, I can’t just wave a gay porn mag around and say it’s yours when it doesn’t have your name on it. If anything that’d just backfire on me." He said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Kyle was taken aback by this. That’s right, there was nothing that linked Kyle to that magazine now that it was in Cartman’s possession. So he wouldn’t have to worry about Cartman blackmailing him after all. But then…

"So why did you do it?" Kyle thought aloud. He didn’t really intend to prompt Cartman with the question, it had just sort of slipped out. Then again, he might as well ask.

"I dunno. It seemed like taking your porn mag would be funny at the time." Cartman shrugged.

"No I mean, why did you take the fall for me in front of my dad?" Kyle quickly specified.

The first response Cartman gave was a raise of an eyebrow. Kyle noticed Cartman avert his eyes from him, apparently in thought.

"Well, if your parents gave you hell for being gay, you’d probably try to make my life hell too. As like… revenge. Jew revenge." Cartman responded after a bit of thought, slapping the antisemitism onto the end of his statement for good measure. Kyle stared at Cartman questioningly for a few moments longer before accepting his response. He wasn’t convinced that was the reason, but it was at the very least acceptable for now.

"They would have given me hell." Kyle agreed, a spiteful expression forming on his face. "They preach gay tolerance, but I seriously think they look down on gays. Like they’re the result of a dysfunctional family or something. They think being gay is the failure of a parent."

Cartman gave a bitter laugh. “That’s pretty fucked.”

"Yep," Kyle sighed, resting his elbows on the picnic bench. Despite still being frustrated about his parents’ ignorance, he couldn’t help but feel relieved that Cartman didn’t intend to blackmail him into doing anything stupid. Or rather, that he couldn’t. There was still the thought that if Cartman had better evidence against him he would’ve, yet, it didn’t seem likely. Cartman was being surprisingly chill about finding out about Kyle’s sexuality. It was something Kyle would’ve never expected, with Cartman’s reputation of being a bigot and all.

"So what kind of guys do you like?"

Kyle’s expression went from frustrated to blank as Cartman asked him this. Upon raising his head to look over at the brown haired boy, he was met with smug grin on Cartman’s face.

"What?"

"You know, tall guys, short guys, guys with long hair…" Cartman listed off. Kyle jumped when Cartman’s hand appeared on his knee, and suddenly Cartman’s face was very close to his. "What turns you on, Kahl?" Cartman’s voice was now a low seductive whisper, and Kyle’s eyes seemed to double in size. He felt his face heat up almost instantaneously, and in a moment of weakness he let a startled whimper escape his lips.

Cartman pulled away from Kyle’s face suddenly, stifling snorts of laughter and covering his mouth. Kyle’s surprised expression transformed into a frown when Cartman began pounding the table with his hand and practically shrieking in laughter as he rested his face against it. “Oh god… the look on your face! You turned red so fucking fast!” Cartman panted between laughs. Kyle crossed his arms and said nothing as Cartman continued to cackle.

"You’re a real asshole, you know that?" Kyle finally scoffed. Although Kyle had thought of punching Cartman to stop him from laughing, he settled on waiting for Cartman to calm down on his own. It happened.. eventually. Kyle sighed. "So you don’t need my magazine right? I’d like it back."

"Sure," Cartman said catching his breath as he settled down from his zealous laughter. "It’s at my house. Later you can come over and we can talk about the models you’d like to fuck."

Kyle rolled his eyes at this. It was nice that he’d be getting his book back, but it would just be way too easy if Cartman didn’t rip on him throughout the entire process. Just as Kyle was about to say something more, he caught Kenny and Stan in the distance, walking towards the picnic benches holding pizza boxes. He called over to them as he stood up and went to meet them half-way. The rest of the afternoon went on as normal, minus the fact that Cartman was surprisingly polite (compared to how he usually was) for the rest of the day. He seemed to have something on his mind, not that Kyle would ask what with his other two friends around.

_________

Time passed quickly. It was now 6pm.

The boys decided to part ways and do other things that Saturday. The sun was setting and Kyle was going back out to pick up his magazine from Cartman’s house. He had a lot of things on his mind, but the thing that stuck out the most was the way he reacted to Cartman blatantly coming onto him at the basketball court.

He didn’t feel creeped out at all, though he should have. It was Cartman after all, right? Well… that didn’t seem to matter in the moment. Instead of feeling nauseous, he felt excited. And that had plainly shown on his face. Maybe Kyle was just flattered. Cartman was the first guy to ‘flirt’ with him; as opposed to the occasional girl asking him out. Of course, it didn’t mean anything. Kyle knew full well that Cartman was just trying to get a rise out of him, as per usual. That seemed to bother him even more. Cartman intended to fuck with him, and it was working.

Acting as if it would change anything, Kyle shook his head clear of his thoughts before he knocked on the door to the Cartman’s residence. He was surprised that he couldn’t hear Cartman yelling for his mom to open the door. Sure the guy was 15, but old habits die hard. And even more to Kyle’s surprise, when the door opened Cartman was the one to answer it instead of his mother.

"There you are," Cartman sang in a very endearing tone. Kyle raised an eyebrow at this, immediately being put on guard. That tone was the type of tone he would take if he was up to something.

"Do you have it?" Kyle asked under his breath. Cartman gestured for Kyle to enter his house.

"It’s in my room. Come on in Kahl, it’s cold out."

Kyle hesitantly stepped in. Cartman shut the door behind him and lead Kyle to his room, passing by his Mother who was washing the dishes.   
"Was that my amazon package, huun?" Ms. Cartman called from the kitchen.

"No Mom, just a friend." Cartman said, his mildly irritated tone of voice clashing very harshly with the previous tone.

Kyle followed Cartman up the stairs and into his room, all the while being ready for Cartman to turn around and attack him or something. Unlike other people, Cartman smiling was usually a bad sign, especially if he was smiling at Kyle. Kyle stood at the doorway as Cartman sat on the edge of his bed, leaning down to reach into the bottom drawer next to it.

"Ah, there’s the gay porn." Cartman smiled, holding the magazine in his hand. Kyle approached Cartman with his hand outstretched, but stutter stepped when Cartman started flipping through the pages. "So Kahl, which one of these guys would you fuck?"

"Cartman," Kyle warned. He could feel his face warming a bit.

"Aw c’mon Kahl, I saved your ass last night, the least you could do is humor me a little." Cartman insisted, patting the spot next to him. Kyle furrowed his brow and sat next to Cartman with his arms crossed.

While Cartman’s eyes scanned the magazine, Kyle quietly pondered to himself what Cartman might be up to. It could be that he just wanted to rip on Kyle for being gay. That would’ve been the simplest conclusion, and it was plainly in sight. It seemed like one of Cartman’s favorite things to do was torment Kyle, even if it was just poking fun. If a little teasing was all Cartman asked for in return for saving Kyle’s home life, then maybe it wasn’t so bad.

"How about this one?" Cartman asked, pointing to a picture of a slender, shirtless man with long blonde hair. Kyle frowned.

"He looks like a chick." Kyle said disdainfully. Cartman snickered.

"So you’re into macho guys, huh?"

"I just think that guy looks way too much like a chick. I prefer guys that look like guys." Kyle explained.

"I see…" Cartman flipped through a few more pages, looking specifically for non-girly pictures. "How about these two?" Cartman pointed to a picture of two muscular men making out. Kyle leaned over to look closer at the picture and examined it thoughtfully. The two definitely seemed attractive. Kyle noticed that his sudden interest invoked a chuckle from Cartman.

"I guess." Kyle replied lamely, sitting back up.

"You guess? I don’t know, you seem pretty interested in them." Cartman teased.

"They look attractive but that’s just how they look. How a guy acts also plays into how attractive he is. I can appreciate their looks but that’s about it." Kyle retorted, becoming a bit irritated with the amused look on Cartman’s face.

"So if a guy was super hot but acted like a douche you wouldn’t fuck him?" Cartman gave an amused scoff, flipping through the pages. Kyle considered the question.

"Those two traits aren’t the only things that play into it—"

"Oh ho!" Cartman cut Kyle off with his outburst after turning to a specific page, one that Kyle was familiar with. "Look at that guy go! He’s gobbling that wiener up!" Kyle could feel heat on his cheeks again. That was one of the pictures he liked the most in that magazine. A close up of a man sucking another guy off, the dick glazed with precum. He felt a familiar tingle in his jeans upon seeing it. He gulped inwardly, remaining silent.

"Oh, what’s this, Kahl?" Cartman hummed, dangling a makeshift bookmark infront of Kyle’s face. He had taken it from the page of the man giving a blowjob. It was plainly obvious that Kyle looked at that picture pretty often if he took the time to bookmark it. Kyle didn’t respond, simply staring at his lap. He flinched when Cartman’s voice suddenly returned to that seductive tone he had used earlier that day. "You like this picture a lot, don’t you, you dirty boy?" Cartman teasingly dragged his finger along Kyle’s jawline.

Kyle’s face grew even redder as Cartman said this, and Kyle could feel noticeable surges of excitement flowing through his body. In this moment Kyle realized that when Cartman sounded this way, it was completely irresistible to him. He tried to force it to the back of his mind, but the more he tried, the more he wanted to hear more of Cartman’s thick, honeyed voice. Kyle tried to act normal, attempting to continue the conversation.

"Cartman,"

"Hmm?"

He was still using that tone.

"…Uh… I… You’re…" Kyle murmured. He suddenly found himself trying to fathom something that would encourage Cartman to keep speaking in that voice. Nothing came to mind. What could he say? Suddenly, Cartman chuckled, leaning towards Kyle and giving him a smug smile.

"Kahl, you’ve been getting so flustered lately…" Cartman said in nearly a whisper, "I think I like it."

Kyle flinched as Cartman’s fingers crept onto his inner thigh. His heart began to pound wildly with anticipation. Kyle didn’t quite understand why he felt this way but he was far too enticed with the situation to question it at that point. Kyle’s breath hitched in his throat as Cartman slid his hand dangerously close to his crotch. Kyle’s eyes locked with Cartman’s, whose eyes seemed equally filled with anticipation.

Cartman showed a little bit of hesitance, but after gauging Kyle’s reaction decided he was comfortable. He brushed his fingers lightly against Kyle’s clothed erection causing Kyle’s legs to tense up. Cartman took notice of the response and placed his other hand on Kyle’s hip, scooting Kyle a little closer to his body. He gave Kyle’s bulge a firm stroke, his smirk widening when Kyle gasped softly in response. Kyle leaned forward slightly as he grasped lightly onto the cloth covering Cartman’s forearms. Cartman couldn’t help but blush, surprised by Kyle’s positive reaction.

He briefly wondered what the hell had gotten into Kyle, but he dismissed the thought easily, as he was enjoying teasing him like this. Taking things a step further, Cartman slipped his hand into Kyle’s pants and slid his fingers against Kyle’s bare skin. Cartman was rewarded with a delicious moan from Kyle when he did this. He unzipped Kyle’s jeans and was met with a full fledged boner. He curled his fingers around Kyle’s shaft and smiled up at him. 

"You’re so hard, Kyle." Cartman whispered sensually as he slid his palm lightly against Kyle’s dick. Kyle’s breathing was uneven against Cartman’s touch. He attempted to stifle a moan but failed horribly. Cartman’s hand was so soft and warm, so inviting. His tender rubbing gradually transformed into firm, even strokes; Kyle was a bit surprised that Cartman was actually willing to give him this much attention. Even more to Kyle’s surprise, Cartman leaned into Kyle, lightly brushing his lips against Kyle’s neck. Kyle shuddered, unconsciously grasping at Cartman’s shoulders and pulling him in closer. 

Kyle wasn’t sure what was more surprising, the idea that Cartman was so bold as to just start touching Kyle like this without a second thought, or the idea that Kyle got into it so easily. His body was undeniably pleased with the motion of Cartman’s hand against him and the soft kisses being placed on his neck.

A smile formed on Cartman’s lips as he slid his hand up and wrapped his fingers around the head of Kyle’s cock, continuing to move it up and down. Cartman heard Kyle’s breathing become more erratic as he focused on this area. He tightened his grip on the head of Kyle’s cock and picked up his pace, feeling Kyle’s fingers tense on his shoulders.

"How’s that feel?" Cartman cooed softly.

"Oh god…" Kyle moaned, his eyes glazed over and his face flushed red. "..ah.. Cartman.."

The sound of Kyle moaning his name sent a wave of pleasure through Cartman and he couldn’t help letting a soft growl escape his lips as he continued to jerk Kyle off. “Mmm yeah.. you want to cum, huh?”

Kyle replied in a series of shallow gasps. He definitely wanted to cum, but was holding it in to prolong the pleasure. It was becoming increasingly difficult since his dick was becoming more and more slicked with his precum.

"Go on, Kyle… You wanna cum right in my hand, don’t you..?" Cartman whispered, sounding incredibly turned on himself. "It’ll feel so good…"

Cartman’s encouragement was driving Kyle crazy. On top of how good Cartman was with his hand, his voice and his words were just so unbelievably perfect. Kyle could barely handle it. Pleasure flooded Kyle’s body, causing him to whimper as he released into Cartman’s warm hand, his seed spilling over onto the bed sheets. Kyle drew in small shuddery breaths as his heart began to calm down. His larger friend caught his eye as he moved back, giving Kyle’s shoulder a brief pat before he grabbed a tissue from his dresser and wiped down his hand. There was a short silence as Kyle took a moment to collect himself.

"I really didn’t expect you to do that." Kyle murmured, staring down at his knees. Cartman laughed.

"I didn’t expect you to let me," Cartman admitted, "I totally thought you’d punch me for going anywhere near your dick."

Kyle couldn’t help but join Cartman in laughing at this remark. Another brief, awkward silence filled the air for a moment. Cartman cleared his throat quickly before speaking.

"I guess you’ll be taking your porn mag back," He offered. The magazine was now lying on at the foot of the bed. As Cartman moved to grab the magazine Kyle noticed the straining bulge still in Cartman’s pants. Kyle’s thoughts sparked with curiosity, but he wasn’t sure if he could be as bold as Cartman had been. Cartman handed the magazine to Kyle by slapping it into the redhead’s chest. "There you go, gay boy."

Kyle frowned at this. “You say that like I’m the only gay one here, Cartman.” Cartman’s dismissive response was ignored as Kyle looked through the pages of his magazine. A brief sigh later and the magazine was back in the hands of Cartman. “I’d probably just get in trouble if my parents ever found it on me. Do what you want with it.”

"What the hell am I gonna do with a fag mag?" Cartman scoffed. Kyle couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s nickname for the magazine.

"I’m sure you can find something you might want to do with it," Kyle gestured towards Cartman’s erection that was still constricted in his pants. Cartman briefly glanced down, then rolled his eyes as he turned to shove the magazine back into his dresser. Kyle leaned forward a bit, giving Cartman a slightly amused look. "You can’t seriously say you’re not gay with a hard on like that."

"It’s just a boner Kahl, they happen randomly sometimes." Cartman attempted to explain. He could see Kyle wasn’t buying it at all, and he pouted a bit."It’s not like I’m the one that came into another guy’s hand."

A smile grew on Kyle’s face as he looked Cartman in the eye. “We could fix that pretty easily.” Cartman stared confusedly at Kyle, no doubt questioning the redhead’s boldness. Kyle was questioning it a bit himself, but he decided he wasn’t going to let Cartman get away with saying he didn’t like guys, even if it was a bullshit reason. With that Kyle leaned down and began unbuttoning Cartman’s pants. Once released from the restraints of Cartman’s pants the erection sprung forward, still hard with anticipation. Kyle glanced pointedly at Cartman, who only looked away trying to hide his blush. Cartman flinched when he felt Kyle’s fingers wrap around his cock. He tried not to react but he couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably. Kyle experimented with stroking Cartman, going up and down the length slowly. When he saw the look on Cartman’s face it became apparent to Kyle that Cartman was making an effort to not react.

Kyle frowned. He remembered that brief moment when Cartman groaned against his neck; it was music to his ears. And now this asshole was withholding that joy from Kyle. What a dick.

A look of disappointment flashed in Cartman’s eyes for a brief moment when Kyle released the erection from his grasp. This expression was replaced with a look of alarm when Kyle got between Cartman’s legs, propping himself up on his hands and knees and dipping his face towards Cartman’s crotch.

"W-what are you doing?" Cartman stammered, blushing profusely. Kyle chose to ignore this question.  

He eyed Cartman’s erection warily, not entirely sure if he would have the guts to take it into his mouth. He provoked a soft gasp from Cartman when he caressed it once again in his hand. Kyle was then reminded of what he wanted from Cartman, and knew he could probably tease it out of him.

Kyle shot a smile at Cartman, pressing his lips against the head of Cartman’s cock. He felt the bed sheets shift a bit in response to Cartman clenching the fabric under his hands as he released a short shivery moan. The moan as short as it was sent a shiver down Kyle’s spine, and the tingling in his pants returned. Taking things a step further, Kyle flicked out his tongue and pressed it against the hot flesh of Cartman’s shaft. The response was a much more satisfying, solid groan that went straight to Kyle’s cock. Cartman gasped and then hissed in ecstasy when Kyle allowed his tongue to slide up the length of Cartman’s cock, then pressing his lips over the head when he got to the top. He smiled up at Cartman, seeing Cartman had now held his hand over his own mouth.

"You motherfucker," Cartman moaned helplessly.

Kyle couldn’t help but give a small laugh as he brought his hand back over Cartman’s cock, engulfing the head and giving encouraging strokes. Cartman let out a frustrated moan, seeming disappointed that Kyle’s warm tongue wasn’t on his dick anymore. Still pleasure pulsated through his body while Kyle firmly jerked him off. Kyle saw that Cartman seemed to be giving in to his actions, his moans coming out more freely. Kyle smiled to himself. It was the first time he’d ever been with anyone like this, and it was so much fun. Kyle slowed his strokes, deciding to dip his head down again when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

The boys seemed to jolt back into reality when they heard the sound.

"Eric, sweety!" Cartman’s mother Liane called from behind the door. "It’s time to come down and eat dinner!"

"Wha— right now?!" Cartman shouted, sounding incredibly frustrated.

"Yes, hun! It’s going to get cold if you don’t!" Liane called from behind the door again. The shadow underneath the door disappeared as she descended back into the kitchen.

Kyle and Cartman exchanged apprehensive glances. Kyle then sat up, averting his gaze and huffing as Cartman buttoned his pants as he grumbled.

"God dammit. God fucking dammit."

"I guess I’d better get going." Kyle sighed, standing up. He glanced over at Cartman, who was looking increasingly more pissed. Kyle’s sympathy seemed to get the better of him when he leaned down and planted a kiss on Cartman’s forehead, causing Cartman to jump in surprise. "I had fun."

Kyle said simply before hurrying out the door.

Cartman sat on his bed in a daze, staring at where Kyle used to be.

Liane didn’t seem to notice Kyle sneaking past the kitchen to leave the house. He made his way onto the sidewalk, smiling contentedly as he walked home. It turned out to be a very bizarre visit, but he thought he might make a habit out of it.

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. Protection

Deep inside Cartman always knew that he had some kind of feelings for Kyle. Feelings that he didn’t get with anyone else. Something about Kyle made him stand out, made him seem so much more important to Cartman. He wasn’t sure when it started, but the feelings had been there for a long, long time. Years. He always wanted to have Kyle’s attention, good or bad. Because whether or not Cartman wanted him to… Kyle mattered. When he was younger he didn’t really recognize it as attraction, but he knew the feeling was there. And now, at 15, in the midst of adolescence, Cartman knew for sure he was attracted to Kyle. The thought of hearing Kyle’s moans, thoughts of touching his body.. it excited him.

He didn’t think teasing Kyle would go anywhere for a long time, but then he found that magazine. At that moment, a spark of hope appeared. A small spark, but Cartman knew he could act on it. It’s not like this would be the first time he flirted with Kyle. It wouldn’t stand out too much. He had done it a lot when they were kids… but maybe Kyle didn’t quite know he was gay at that time. Maybe he just didn’t catch on.

If he was being perfectly honest, Cartman had still thought he had a pathetically slim chance at having anything with Kyle, even after he saw Kyle’s magazine. The fact that Kyle responded so positively to Cartman’s flirting was a very pleasant surprise. He felt like he’d waited years for it to happen, and it didn’t disappoint. Kyle’s sweet voice moaning like that.. The look in his eyes.. He even got to feel Kyle’s mouth on his—…

…

Cartman’s eyes fluttered open and looked around. Sunday morning had come. Cartman sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes awake. When he rested his hands on his blanket he suddenly became more aware that there was a moist sensation in his pajama pants.

"Ah, god dammit!" He cried. The Kyle dreams were all well and good, except for the part where he made a complete mess in his pants because of it.

___

Sunday Afternoon, 5:00 pm.

"Wait up, guys!" Kyle called from behind Kenny and Stan as they exited the convenience store. Kyle picked up his pace a little, trying not to jingle the snacks that he was holding too much. The 3 boys were on their way to Cartman’s house to watch the trailer for the 7th Terrance and Phillip movie.

It was a ritual they’d adopted since they were 8. After the first few nights of shenanigans the boys had decided to always have it at Cartman’s house, since his Mother was the most willing to leave them alone and also get them what they wanted while they watched. Having a doormat for a mom could be pretty useful at times. After a long walk the boys had finally reached Cartman’s house and knocked on his door.

"You’re late, assholes!" Cartman barked as he opened the door and allowed his friends in. "The show’s already started."

"That’s fine as long as the commercials haven’t started yet." Stan shrugged, putting down the soda boxes he’d brought.  
"Where’s your mom?" Kenny asked as he passed by Cartman.  
"She went to the store," Cartman answered nonchalantly. Kyle followed behind Kenny. Cartman and Kyle exchanged glances as he passed, both of them trying to look neutral as possible. Kyle could feel his heart skip a beat, staring at his feet when he was away from Cartman’s gaze. Cartman closed the door and joined the boys on the couch, taking his usual spot next to Kenny. 

The four boys absently watched through the first set of commercials, then groaned when the TV show resumed. They all knew that the trailer would be on the last break, but none of them wanted to take any chances. They’d just have to sit through the program and watch the whole thing. Thankfully Kitchen Nightmares wasn’t that bad of a show.

"That chick is so delusional," Stan said in bewilderment. "Why’d she even call Ramsey if she didn’t want to change anything about the restaurant anyway?"

"She probably just wanted to be on TV." Kenny said, taking a sip of Pepsi.

Cartman rested his cheek on his hand and let his mind wander elsewhere. He was still thinking about last night. He couldn’t help but wonder if that kind of thing was ever gonna happen again. Kyle did say he had fun, but maybe he just said that out of pity or something… Maybe he could try to get Kyle alone again and figure it out.

"Dude, you okay? You’re really quiet." Stan asked.

"I’m fine," Cartman sighed dismissively.

"Not you. I meant Kyle." Stan specified, raising an eyebrow at Cartman. Cartman’s eyes gravitated towards Kyle, who seemingly blinked out of his own stupor.

"O-Oh, yeah.." Kyle said, looking down. Cartman caught Kyle giving him quick glances. "I just feel a little uh.. under the weather."

Cartman brought his eyes back to the television, though his mind was still on Kyle. Was he thinking the same thing Cartman was? Or was he just nervous that Cartman was gonna rat him out? That seemed like something Kyle would be worrying about.

Cartman tore his attention away from his thoughts as he heard his mother’s voice call from the doorway.

"Boys, I brought PF Chang’s!" Liane called from the doorway. The boys cheered in unison, getting up from their seats to go to the kitchen. They didn’t really have to worry about the commercials coming on since the show had just come back. They began sorting their food into what they wanted. There was chatter being exchanged between Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Liane, while Cartman was somewhat quiet. Idle chitchat came to a halt when Liane pulled out a peculiar box that caught all of the boys’ eyes. "I bought something special for you, sweety."

"…Huh?" Cartman deadpanned as a box of trojan condoms now rested in his palms. He looked them over, still in mild shock and confusion. "Condoms? Why?"

"I overheard you and your little friend last night," Liane replied gleefully, clasping her hands together. Kyle’s stomach sank at this and his face went pale. Shit, were they too loud? Cartman’s cheeks grew hot as he stared at the condoms. "Whoever the special little lady is, I want you two to practice safe sex, Eric."

_Oh thank god, she didn’t know it was Kyle._

"Mom!" Cartman whined, "You were eavesdropping?!"

"Oh don’t be shy sweety. I’m very happy that you finally found someone you like," Liane cooed, stroking her son’s hair. "This way you won’t get her preggers."

Kyle began to recover from his paleness, his face now tinted a bit pink. The way he was mistaken for a girl made him feel a bit self-conscious. The other two boys stared at Cartman in a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"God dammit," Cartman grumbled. He took his ‘gift’ and his chinese food and went back over to the TV, throwing himself on the couch and tossing the condoms onto the lamp dresser. The other three boys followed him in, Kyle avoiding eye contact with everyone else.

"Man Cartman, a girlfriend? I didn’t think you had it in you." Stan smirked, sitting down. Kenny sat down next to Cartman again. Cartman responded to Stan with an agitated grunt, angrily stuffing sesame chicken into his mouth.

"It might not be a girlfriend, just someone he was messing around with." Kenny pointed out. Stan nodded in agreement. 

"So what’s the girl’s name?" Stan prodded.

"None of your god damn business." Cartman snapped, closing his his box. He slammed the container down on the dresser and crossed his arms, trying to focus on the TV show.

"Was she hot?" Kenny asked, sounding genuinely curious. Cartman was still pouting, but he considered Kenny’s question harmless.

"Of course she was hot." Cartman scoffed, seeming to cool down a little. Kyle let himself slump into the couch, his cheeks and ears burning red. He was starting to wonder if Cartman would say anything about the two of them, and that started to really make him feel anxious.

"Yeah right, no hot chick in their right mind would give Cartman the time of day." Stan snickered. Both Stan and Kenny broke out into laughter when they saw Cartman’s angry face flush red in embarrassment.

"Did she suck your dick?" Kenny asked as he recovered from his laughter. Cartman’s face went blank as the images of last night flooded his mind. Kenny caught this and looked intrigued. "Whoa, she did!"

"That’s amazing, Cartman!" Stan exclaimed. "How did she even find it?!"  
The two boys shrieked in laughter at Stan’s joke, nearly falling off of the couch. Their uncontrollable laughter even overpowered Cartman screaming “Shut the fuck up you guys!”

"Shh, shh! It’s time for the commercial break!" Stan gasped, calming down from his laughter. Cartman rolled his eyes standing up from the couch and trudging up the stairs. "Hey, Cartman, you’re gonna miss it." Stan called from the couch.

"Fuck you, hippie!" Cartman yelled. From downstairs the boys heard the sound of Cartman slamming the door as hard as he could. Stan looked at Kenny, receiving a shrug and going back to watching commercials.

"Guys, I think you really hurt his feelings." Kyle finally spoke, propping himself upright from his slump. Stan glanced thoughtfully at the staircase for a moment.

"He’ll get over it." Stan shrugged absently.

"Yeah." Kenny nodded, turning up the TV volume slightly.

Kyle sighed to himself. He got up and started up the stairs, prompting confused looks from Stan and Kenny. Maybe if he just let Cartman cool down for a bit he’d be fine. But Kyle decided against it.

When he reached Cartman’s room he could hear the sound of things being thrown around. Cartman seemed pretty angry, but he was probably just throwing his usual fit. Kyle decided to wait a bit before he knocked.

"Cartman?" He finally called. He knocked once or twice on the door. "Dude come back down, we’re gonna miss the Terrance and Phillip trailer." 

"Fuck Terrance and Phillip! Stupid assholes!" Cartman shouted. Kyle heard a loud thump. "All they ever do is fart on each other! I’m sick of it!"

"Cartman come on, you don’t mean that." Kyle sighed, leaning against the door. "Look, if you don’t want to come down could you just let me in?"

After a bit of silence, Kyle could hear footsteps approaching the door. As the door peeked open he was met with a reluctant looking Cartman. Kyle gave Cartman a reassuring smile. Cartman sighed and opened his door invitingly, allowing Kyle to step into his room. It wasn’t that much of a mess, to Kyle’s surprise. Cartman had just been throwing books at the wall. Only books. Looks like he didn’t want to break anything important.

"You okay man?" Kyle asked, taking a seat next to Cartman on his bed. Cartman was leaning against his headboard, his arms crossed defensively. Kyle continued, "They were just joking around, you know."

"You didn’t have to come up here, Kahl." Cartman huffed. He seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Well, I kinda wanted to get away too." Kyle admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "It was kind of an embarrassing situation to be in."

"Yeah, I’m sure the last thing you wanted to hear about was doing things you regretted." Cartman scoffed, turning onto his side.

"…I don’t regret it, Cartman." Kyle said softly. Cartman froze, his heart nearly jumped into his throat. The idea that Kyle not only didn’t regret it, but openly admitted to not regretting it caught him by surprise. He could feel butterflies in his stomach. Still, Cartman did his best to not reflect this in his body language. Kyle twiddled his fingers anxiously. "It’s just, if anyone found out they’d know I’m gay. That would ruin my house life… I know it’s just the guys but I don’t wanna take any risks."

"Yeah.." Cartman sighed, turning back to face Kyle. "Your parents suck pretty hard, Kahl. I’d kick them in the nuts if I were you."

"They’re my parents, dude. I have to respect their wishes." Kyle replied, reluctantly. There was a pained look on his face after saying this. He couldn’t help looking away.  _'Even if their wishes goes against my happiness. They're my parents.'_  He balled his hands into fists.

"Speaking of sucking…" Cartman began. He sat up and scooted closer to Kyle, catching Kyle’s attention. "Were you trying to one-up me or something?"

"Huh?" Kyle raised an eyebrow at Cartman.

"You know, last night. Were you trying to outdo me with that whole tongue thing you did?" Cartman elaborated. What he was talking about clicked with Kyle at that moment, and Kyle blushed.

"Oh." He wasn’t necessarily trying to outdo Cartman. But since Cartman jerked him, and Kyle both jerked and licked Cartman… it did seem that way. Kyle smiled at Cartman. "What if I was?"

Cartman matched Kyle’s smile, leaning in and whispering, “I can do one better.”

Cartman tilted Kyle’s chin up and pressed their lips softly together. Kyle’s stomach started doing back flips as he was presented with this alien situation. It wasn’t Kyle’s first kiss, but it was definitely his first kiss with a guy. That was special in its own way to Kyle. It was a decent kiss too; Cartman’s lips felt quite warm and overall pleasant.

Kyle wrapped his arms around Cartman, his fingers locking around each other and resting against the back of the other boy’s neck as he happily returned the kiss. He could feel Cartman react with a noticeable slow in the movement of his lips. Maybe he wasn’t expecting Kyle to kiss back.

When their lips parted the two exchanged half lidded stares, taking in the desire held in each other’s eyes. Cartman allowed his eyes to flutter shut as he pulled Kyle into another kiss. Kyle felt Cartman tease his bottom lip with his tongue, and couldn’t help reacting. Kyle pushed against Cartman, prodding his tongue into the larger boy’s mouth and engaging with Cartman’s tongue. The boys’ hands ran all over; Cartman’s going up Kyle’s shirt and caressing his skin and Kyle’s hands threading their way into Cartman’s brown hair. Kyle could feel Cartman’s heart pounding equally as fast as his own.

"Hey, guys! Hurry up and get back down here!" Stan called from downstairs. Kyle’s eyes snapped open and he quickly shoved Cartman away, making Cartman a bit alarmed. Cartman then came to his senses and recognized the voice. The two stood up and straightened themselves out when they heard Stan coming up the steps. "Guys, come on. We have to see this trailer." Stan said, poking his head into the doorway.

"Yeah yeah, gimme a minute." Cartman grumbled as he ran his fingers through his own hair. Stan disappeared downstairs to return to the TV. Cartman sighed. "One of these days, Kahl… One of these days we won’t be interrupted."

Kyle chuckled, raising an eyebrow at Cartman. “We’ve only tried this twice.”

"And being interrupted is already annoying as hell."

"How about I come over tonight?"

Cartman paused to stare at Kyle blankly. Kyle looked away as he felt his cheeks becoming hot. “Ehm.. if we do it late at night then no one will be around to interrupt us.”

As he turned back to look at Cartman, Kyle saw a bright smile on his face.

"Well well, looks like your sneaky jewness is finally working to my advantage." Cartman patted Kyle’s back appreciatively. Kyle raised an eyebrow at Cartman’s blatant antisemitism, but the look on Cartman’s face told him he should take it as a compliment.

"Let’s get back downstairs, fatass."

"Sure."

For the rest of the afternoon Cartman seemed noticeably lax to everyone else. He was much happier on the inside, but he had to make a massive effort to appear cool and collected in front of Kyle, and everyone else for that matter. Kyle actually was gonna go out of his way to make this happen, huh? The question of ‘why’ lamely prodded at the back of Cartman’s mind, but he wasn’t about to let reasoning spoil his secret sexy fun.  
____

Sunday, 9:00 PM

Kyle looked in the mirror, snipping at pieces at his hair carefully. He wasn’t sure what style to go for, but he decided he might as well cut it short and straighten it a little. He briefly thought back to what Cartman texted him on the way home.

_You should probably tie your hair back for tonight. I’m not letting you keep that hat on the entire time lol_

Kyle grumbled. Cartman had a point; if he kept his hair the way it was it would just fall over his face and get in the way while they… did what they were going to do. There wasn’t much point of Kyle cutting his hair usually because it would always just grow back incredibly quickly. He’d given up on that a long time ago. But he wasn’t about tie his hair back with a scrunchie or some shit. Cutting his hair was a much better alternative.

Just then, his cellphone rang in his pocket. Kyle fished it out, wondering what Cartman had to say this time. He brought the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

"Hey Kyle, could you come over to my house for tonight? I need help and you’re really the only one who understands this pre-cal stuff." It was Stan on the line, not Cartman. Kyle groaned inwardly. It wasn’t like Kyle to turn Stan down, or even be displeased at the sound of Stan’s voice, but tonight was an exception.

"Sorry Stan, I can’t help." He replied softly.

"What? Why not? Come on, you’re good with this stuff!" Stan pleaded, sounding a bit desperate. Kyle couldn’t help but cringe. There was a test on Wednesday at school, he could understand why Stan wanted to get the information in as soon as possible. Stan was one of those people who needed to understand how everything worked before he felt comfortable. Nonetheless, he’d have to hold it off for another day. Kyle wasn’t about to let it get in the way of tonight.

"I have to do something else tonight. It’s kind of personal." Kyle offered. He thought about thinking up a lie, but knowing how things went in this town it would only come back to bite him in the ass. A half truth should do just fine. After a little more coaxing, Stan finally complied. Kyle ended the call sighing in a bit of relief.

As the clock hit 9:30 Kyle slipped out of his house. He strode briskly down the sidewalk wearing a dark hoodie. He had to pass Stan’s house to get to Cartman’s, and he didn’t really want Stan recognizing him.

When Cartman answered the door, he paused to stare at Kyle.

"Whoa, you gonna rob me or something?" He laughed. Kyle rolled his eyes.

"I turned Stan down when he asked me to help him study," He explained. "I wore this so anyone seeing me wouldn’t recognize me. I didn’t want him to see me going to your house. I feel kind of bad turning him down. He really oughta stop texting Wendy in the middle of class if he wants to understand the material."

Cartman was hardly listening. His eyes were too busy scanning Kyle up and down. There was something different. He pushed the hood off Kyle’s head, revealing Kyle’s short, somewhat straightened red hair. Kyle was taken a back by this sudden gesture, and felt a bit self-conscious when Cartman stared at him. Cartman’s blank stare gradually formed into a smirk.

"Very nice, Kahl. You should keep it like this." Cartman said, running his fingers through Kyle’s hair and smiling appreciatively. Kyle had a bit of trouble reacting to Cartman’s words. Cartman very rarely complimented him.

"Does changing my hair really make that much of a difference?" Kyle murmured. He stared at his feet.

"Chyeah, much better than that bird’s nest you usually have." Cartman snickered. Cartman’s smile was torn away from him when Kyle suddenly pinched and twisted the skin of his arm. "Ow! Fuck, Kahl!"

"Come on, let’s go to your room." Kyle said rolling his eyes and making his way upstairs. Cartman rubbed his shoulder and whined, but followed his friend.

As they made their way up to Cartman’s room, Kyle took notice of how quiet the house was. Cartman seemed to pick up on this when he saw Kyle slowing down to look around.

"She’s working right now. We have the house to ourselves." Cartman explained, opening his door. Kyle made a small noise of acknowledgement to this and walked into Cartman’s room. Though it concerned him more on the inside, he didn’t want Cartman to notice. Kyle was thinking about how often Cartman was probably alone because he had a single parent. He must get pretty lonely.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Cartman said, disappearing out the door for a moment. Kyle made himself comfortable on Cartman’s bed, absently touching his freshly cut hair. Maybe he would keep it this way… but it would take a lot of effort. His eyes wandered around Cartman’s room for a moment, then quickly gravitated to the box of condoms sitting on the nightstand. Kyle picked up the box and examined it. It’d been opened, probably for ease of access just in case. Kyle knew it wasn’t Cartman’s idea to get the condoms, but still he wondered if he was going to go all the way.

"There, found it!" Cartman entered the room smiling down at a bottle he held in his hand.

"What’s that?" Kyle asked, eyeing the bottle curiously.

"It’s lube." Cartman placed the lube on the nightstand and sat next to Kyle on the bed, wrapping his arm around Kyle’s shoulders. "So you won’t have to cry if we decide to fuck tonight." Cartman pressed his lips against Kyle’s neck softly.

Kyle blushed at Cartman’s brazen words. He quickly came back to his senses however, upon realizing what Cartman had just implied. “Wait, I’m gonna be the bottom?”

Cartman pulled back and raised an eyebrow at Kyle. “What, you think  _I’m_  gonna take it up the ass?”

"Why not? You’re used to having things up your ass anyway," Kyle retorted, frowning at Cartman. Cartman rolled his eyes as Kyle began to list off what Cartman had previously stuck up his ass. "Cigarettes, board games,  _hamburgers…_ ”

"Alright alright! Chill out. We can just switch off every night or something." Cartman offered.

"Fine. But who’s going first?"

"Jesus Christ Kahl, do you wanna flip a coin over this shit?" 

Cartman was looking increasingly annoyed. Kyle sighed. He didn’t want to kill the mood — especially when they hadn’t even started. He leaned in and brushed his lips against Cartman’s, causing Cartman’s expression to immediately soften. He pulled closer to Cartman and wrapped his arms around him.

"How about… whoever can make the other orgasm first gets to top?" Kyle purred.

Kyle could practically see the lust flare up in Cartman’s eyes when he heard that. The dark chuckle that Cartman responded with sent pleasurable shivers down Kyle’s spine. Cartman hooked his arms around Kyle’s lower back, pulling him closer.

"You’re on, gay boy." Cartman murmured, sliding his hands under Kyle’s jacket and shirt. Kyle smiled as he quickly unzipped the black hoodie and discarded it on the floor. He let out a soft gasp as Cartman brushed his thumb against one of Kyle’s nipples. Eager to compete, Kyle reached down and gave Cartman’s pants a firm stroke, feeling the area hardening against his palm.

Kyle shuddered as he felt both of Cartman’s fingers tweaking his nipples. Cartman leaned forward and firmly grazed his teeth against Kyle’s collarbone. This act of nipping seemed to do the trick for Kyle, as he felt his body tingle all over when Cartman did it. It felt great, but Kyle wasn’t about to make it easy for Cartman. Kyle wrapped his arms around Cartman, pulling him into a searing kiss. As their tongues thrashed feverishly against each other, Kyle knew he had Cartman distracted. Kyle took the opportunity to move, straddling Cartman’s lap firmly between his legs.

Kyle pulled out of the kiss and smiled mischievously at Cartman, gripping the other boy’s shoulders and rocking his hips back and forth against Cartman’s crotch. The larger boy’s face was stricken with ecstasy as he was introduced to this method of foreplay.

"Oh jesus, Kyle..!" Cartman hissed, bucking his hips and grinding back against Kyle. Kyle moaned happily at the sound of Cartman’s voice, and the addictive feeling of the friction between them. Cartman placed his fingers on Kyle’s hips and grinded harder, doing his best to keep up with the fluid motion. The excitement of the situation was practically taking them over. Their bodies moved against one another, the passion building in both of the boys as their hearts began to pound. But despite how great it felt Cartman knew that if this went on there was a chance that Kyle would make him cum first, so he had to fight back.

Cartman suddenly grabbed Kyle’s arms and pushed him onto his back, pinning the other boy against the bed by the wrists. Kyle looked a little freaked out.

"Cartman?"

"Sorry Kyle, I’m not letting you win that easy," Cartman smirked, still panting from the excitement. He was surprised he managed to get his body to move away from that addictive friction, and was a bit impressed by himself. It would all be worth it in the end. Letting go of Kyle’s hands now, Cartman moved down to position himself facing Kyle’s waist. "You’re gonna be the one to cum first." He smiled, unzipping and pulling Kyle’s erection out of his pants. Kyle quickly propped himself up on his elbows.

"Cartman that’s not fair! You can’t— ahh.. nnh..!" Kyle’s words suddenly melted when he felt a soft wet tongue press against the head of his member. Cartman’s hand caressed the shaft while he gently moved his tongue in circles around the top. As he repeated the action his ears began to fill with delicious light moans from Kyle, encouraging Cartman to go further. He readily took Kyle’s cock into his mouth, going slow at first, pressing his tongue against the shaft and coating Kyle’s length in his warm saliva.

Kyle had lied back now, completely overwhelmed with the sensations Cartman was giving him. He made feeble attempts to protest, but as Cartman took Kyle’s now throbbing cock in and out of his mouth, Kyle found that all he could make out now were elated moans. Even with Kyle’s cock in his mouth Cartman managed to swirl his tongue over the head of it.

Once Cartman exhausted that, he experimented further by cupping his tongue against Kyle’s shaft and tightening the space that the erection continued sliding against. Kyle felt the effects almost immediately. The amount suction he was feeling was amazing. Kyle hissed in pleasure and made a half attempt to cover his mouth with his hand. He was ready. He was very ready. But he couldn’t give into Cartman. He had to hold it in and think of something to get Cartman to cum first… but he couldn’t think of a damn thing. And he really didn’t want the pleasure to stop. 

Cartman took an opportunity to slide the wet cock out of his mouth, a string of saliva dripping from his tongue. He cradled the dick affectionately in his palm and smiled at Kyle. “Mm.. Kosher meat doesn’t taste half bad, Kyle…” Cartman cooed softly. He ran his fingers against Kyle’s erection as he lapped up precum dripping down the shaft, moaning against the hot skin. Kyle’s breath hitched in his throat, now doing everything in his power to hold his climax in.

Cartman gave a small breathless laugh upon hearing Kyle’s obvious struggle. It was doing wonders for Cartman’s boner to know he was driving Kyle crazy like this. Cartman pressed his lips, and then his tongue against the head again. “Mmmmm, so yummy…”

He took Kyle’s cock back into his mouth again, provoking another moan from Kyle. Kyle threw his head back in pleasure as Cartman suddenly began tantalizing him with muffled moans, the vibrations surging pleasurably through his body. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to cum.

"Ohhh… fuck… ahhh…!" Kyle cried out as his body gave in, his cum flooding eagerly into his partner’s mouth. Cartman made a valiant effort to stifle his gag reflex, pulling back and swallowing Kyle’s freshly discarded load. The feeling of satisfaction continued to pulsate through Kyle’s body as he simply lied there, catching his breath. Cartman sat up and wiped his mouth, gulping down the last of Kyle’s cum. The fact that there was so much of it left Cartman feeling content. He lied down next to his partner, waiting patiently for him to cool down.

As Kyle drew in more steady breath, he glanced over to Cartman through half lidded eyes. Upon acknowledging Kyle’s gaze Cartman leaned in closer, dragging his fingers over Kyle’s shirt.

"Guess who came first, Kyyle.." Cartman hummed, making circles against Kyle’s chest with his index finger. Kyle looked on at Cartman with a mostly neutral expression. He let out a small sigh.

"So I’m taking it up the ass, huh?"

"Whenever we decide to do it, you’re first." Cartman replied, brushing his chin against the top of Kyle’s shoulder. "Of course if you don’t think you’re ready for it, you still have a favor to return tonight."

Cartman glanced down, nodding towards his still erect member. Kyle looked down to where Cartman gestured, then let his eyes wander in thought. A moment later Kyle sat up. Cartman took note of this and followed suit.

"Let’s do it." Kyle said as he pulled his pants down and kicked them off. Cartman’s eyes widened as he watched Kyle’s pants fall to the floor. His eyes met with Kyle’s again, staring in disbelief.

"Really?" Cartman tried to not sound as eager as he felt.

Kyle nodded. “I want to know how it feels.”

Cartman took a moment for the information to sink in, despite himself. It was Kyle. Kyle Broflovski, the one who was always stepping up to the plate to challenge him. The guy that was always glaring holes into him whenever he knew he was up to something. The guy who so valiantly foiled his plans time and time again… Cartman’s equal. He admittedly held some kind of respect for the damned Jew, and he also always secretly fantasized about having angry sex with him. And now here he was, sitting on Cartman’s bed half-naked wanting to have sex.

Cartman relished in the thought. He got up and took the lube and a condom from his nightstand, wearing the biggest smile as he got back onto the bed. Kyle waited anxiously as he watched Cartman undo his pants and roll the condom over his erection. He hadn’t thought much about it before, but since it would be going into him, the size of Cartman’s dick was significantly more important. It was about average length, but in girth it looked kind of intimidating.

"Don’t do it too hard." Kyle cringed visibly. Cartman looked blankly at Kyle, taking note of his expression.

"Relax, Kahl. The lube will make it a lot easier on you. Probably." Cartman said, squirting lube on his finger. He scooted towards Kyle, prompting him to lie back. Cartman began pushing his finger in with no hesitation. Kyle immediately gasped, his muscles tensing up a bit. Cartman looked up at him and scoffed.

"It’s just a little finger, Kyle."

"Yeah right," Kyle groaned. "It doesn’t help that your fingers are thick— ah!" He squirmed when Cartman started moving his finger in and out of him slowly. When he glanced at Cartman he was met with a mischievous smile.

"Should I just fingerbang you?" Cartman laughed. Kyle gave Cartman an irritated look.

"No, asshole, give me the real thing."

"Oh, my pleasure." Cartman chuckled, squirting a bit of lube on his free hand and spreading it over the condom he was wearing. He took his finger out of Kyle and added a bit more lube to it. He considered that it might be too much, but it’d be better if he’d use too much lube over too little lube. He pushed his finger back into Kyle causing him to squirm again.

After a moment or two, Cartman carefully slipped in a second finger. It would probably help Kyle be a little more prepared if he didn’t just use one finger. Kyle groaned as he felt his opening being stretched out, but he made an effort to adjust to the feeling. Cartman’s fingers twisted around to coat the walls inside.

Now feeling that Kyle was sufficiently lubricated, Cartman grabbed Kyle’s legs and positioned himself between them. “Get ready.” Cartman said anxiously. His voice was slightly shaky with anticipation, but he did his best to go slow, steadily pushing into Kyle’s entrance. Kyle inhaled sharply, shutting his eyes tight as he felt Cartman stretching his entrance. He strained his throat, trying to hold back groans of agony as Cartman continued pushing his length inside.

Cartman held himself steady, watching Kyle curiously. He noticed Kyle’s legs were trembling a bit… Cartman’s sadistic side was getting the better of him at that moment. It made it even better that Kyle’s inside was also constricting his hard-on now. He was quickly brought out of his trance when Kyle reached out and grasped for Cartman’s sleeves, tugging on them as he panted. Cartman leaned into Kyle, allowing Kyle to latch his hands onto Cartman’s back and cling to him. Cartman blushed a little at the sudden intimacy he felt between them.

He carefully began to move back and forth against Kyle, watching for his reaction. Kyle’s body tensed again, but somehow holding onto Cartman made it easier for him to adjust to the pain. As the pain subsided, the feeling of Cartman’s cock stretching him out and moving slowly in and out of him suddenly felt really good. It felt so much bigger than he thought it would feel inside him, but the feeling was so overwhelmingly amazing.

Seeing that Kyle calmed down a bit, Cartman tried rocking his hips a bit faster to see the effect. Kyle moaned loudly in response.

"You okay?" Cartman panted as he looked down at Kyle.

"Uh huh.." Kyle gasped softly. "It feels good now.."

Cartman smirked a bit, acknowledging that the loud moan was a good moan. He picked up his pace further, giving Kyle firmer thrusts. The whimpers he got in response were the best he’d ever heard from Kyle. This was definitely going in Cartman’s book as one of the greatest nights in his life. The situation got better as Kyle began moving in rhythm with Cartman’s thrusting. Kyle worked his muscles and made it so the walls of his entrance squeezed Cartman’s cock pleasurably inside him. If Cartman wasn’t moaning before, he definitely was now.

Cartman gripped Kyle’s hips as they rocked back against his thrusts. He would’ve been talking dirty to Kyle if it wasn’t for the fact that the pleasure of fucking Kyle was so overwhelmingly amazing that it left him beyond words. All he could muster out was groans of pleasure as he pounded into the boy below him. His body’s instinct was in control now. It wasn’t long until Cartman got that feeling building in the pit of his stomach. His thrusts became shallow as his breath hitched in his throat.   
With a final groan he climaxed inside of Kyle, squeezing Kyle’s hips as he came. Kyle’s panting lessened a bit when he acknowledged that Cartman was finished. Cartman sat up, noticing Kyle’s erection had been firmly pressed against his stomach while they were fucking. He took it in his hand, giving it a few quick strokes in order to finish Kyle off. Kyle gave a shivery sigh as he came into Cartman’s hand, his seed dripping out a bit onto his shirt. Kyle came twice tonight - that should make him pretty happy.

Now that both of them had been finished off, Cartman pulled out of Kyle and took a moment to catch his breath. Kyle still lied there, basking in the afterglow.

Much to Kyle’s surprise, being the receiver didn’t feel bad at all. Once he’d gotten used to the pain, it was nothing short of magical. Although, he had nothing to compare it to for now. He’d still have to try topping next time.

Next time…

Ah right.. they were going to do this often, weren’t they?

What did that make them?

"Well Kahl, seems like you’re a natural at taking it up the ass." Cartman snickered, flopping down next to Kyle. Kyle’s half-hearted scowl quickly turned into a smirk.

"Yeah, just like you’re a natural at sucking my dick." 

"Hey!" 

"No seriously Cartman, holy shit," Kyle rolled over to face Cartman with a bright smile on his face, "If I knew you were that good at giving head I would’ve tried this sooner."

Cartman stared blankly for a moment, then turned his eyes away as a light tinge of pink crept onto his cheeks. “Like dick sucking ability’s something to brag about.”

"A compliment’s a compliment, Cartman." Kyle laughed softly at Cartman’s pouting. He was caught off guard as he noticed a small shy smile tugging at Cartman’s lips. It was really surprising… such an alien expression to Kyle. He actually looked genuinely timid. It wasn’t at all like the fake innocent smile he would feign to manipulate others. This seemed real. And it made Cartman almost look… cute. 

…Cartman looked cute. 

Kyle had reached his hand out to Cartman’s face, but stopped halfway. It was a good thing he caught himself. He wasn’t sure how Cartman would react if Kyle suddenly stroked his cheek affectionately. Cartman had noticed that Kyle reached out to him. He suddenly was staring at Kyle with a curious look on his face. Kyle wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. He retracted his hand to his chest, looking away from Cartman. Cartman’s eyes wandered for a moment, then returned apprehensively back to Kyle. He waited until Kyle decided to look back up at him. 

"Do your parents know you’re over here?" Cartman asked. Kyle frowned a bit. 

"They probably think I’m still at the house. They’d have my head if they knew I was staying over at your house." Kyle sighed. "After you left on Friday my Dad had a talk with me about how I should stay away from you. Said you’d try to do weird stuff to me or that you might rub off on me."

Cartman’s sudden bout of laughter made Kyle flinch. He raised an eyebrow at Cartman, waiting for him to settle down. “Looks like he was right, huh Kahl?” Cartman grinned. “You didn’t stay away and now you’ve been fucked in the ass.”

Kyle rolled his eyes, but held a smile on his face. “He was right for the wrong reasons. And anyway, I liked it so I don’t care.”

Cartman smiled brightly at this. “And you were worried about being bottom.”

"Whatever," Kyle scoffed. "Just because I liked it doesn’t mean you’re getting out of being bottom next time."

He jabbed lightly at Cartman as he spoke. Cartman blinked, staring blankly at Kyle for a moment before a playful smirk appeared on his face.   
"Next time, huh? When’s that gonna be?" Cartman asked, absently twirling Kyle’s red locks around his finger.

Kyle paused, suddenly looking very thoughtful. The week was coming up and they wouldn’t have much time to do this on school days. “We should be careful about it. The only safe time to do it would be on the weekends.” Kyle concluded, looking a bit disheartened.

"Fuck that." Cartman responded with hardly much delay. "Let’s just sneak it whenever we can."

Kyle looked at Cartman in disbelief. “We’ll probably get caught eventually.”

"We’ll just be smart about it." Cartman grinned, sitting up. "I’m a sinister mastermind, you’re a sneaky jew. We’ll be fine."

Kyle rolled his eyes at Cartman. Again with the Jewish insults. Still, he acknowledged that Cartman did have a point. Cartman got away with a lot of shit that he shouldn’t have been able to over the years. This probably wouldn’t be any different. If there was one thing he could trust Cartman with, it was sneaking around.

"You know just because we’re fooling around doesn’t mean I approve of your antisemitism, fatass." Kyle grumbled, still managing to catch Cartman’s insults. Cartman’s grin didn’t disappear.

"Right. I’m not pussy whipped either, so I’m not gonna stop ripping on you just cause we’re fooling around." He retorted, pinching Kyle’s cheek. Kyle huffed at this, but his expression noticeably eased. That seemed like a fair deal. If the only thing that changed about their relationship is that they had sex sometimes, it would make things much easier on them everywhere else. The last thing Kyle wanted was his friends to notice him and Cartman acting different.

"Hey, it’s gonna be ten thirty. Shouldn’t you.. y’know, sneak back to your house?" Cartman pointed out as he scooted himself to the edge of the bed. Kyle realized that Cartman was right. He needed to get to his house and be up for school in the morning. He gave a brief word of acknowledgement before he moved to get his hoodie and pants that lied on the floor. A sting of pain shot into him when his bare ass brushed against the covers, causing Kyle to yelp. Cartman raised an eyebrow at Kyle. "The hell?"

"My ass is really sore…" Kyle rasped.

"Oh, did I do that?" Cartman laughed, rub Kyle’s back teasingly. Kyle sent Cartman a glare, but his gaze softened when Cartman stood up and picked up Kyle’s clothes without another word. He let the articles of clothing drop at Kyle’s side and sat back down. Kyle wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised if Cartman had just sat there and watched Kyle squirm in pain. This seemed odd of him. Maybe Cartman was a bit ‘pussy whipped.’

Even with the clothes at his side, Kyle struggled to put his pants on. The fabric brushing against his sensitive area made him wince outwardly, and he noticed Cartman laughing as he watched him.

"Sorry for ravaging your ass, Kahl. Guess my monster cock was too much." Cartman snickered.

"Very funny. I’m gonna do the same thing to you, y’know." Kyle retorted as he slipped his hoodie on. He’d left his hat at home since Cartman had been saying he was gonna take it off anyway. Kyle didn’t want to lose his favorite hat. Having everything he needed, Kyle stood up off the bed, inhaling sharply when he was met with another sting of pain. "God dammit." Kyle was lamenting the thought of having to go down the staircase with pain like this in his ass.

Cartman gave a small sigh, standing up from his bed. “C’mere you pussy.” He grunted as he hoisted Kyle up into his arms bridal style. Kyle gasped in alarm then began blushing immensely. Cartman saw this and smiled teasingly at Kyle. It was pretty amusing to see Kyle all flustered.

"Dude! Not cool!!" Kyle shouted in protest. He tried to squirm out of Cartman’s arms but was quickly met with pain in his ass. It seemed to discourage his movement.

"What’s wrong, Kahl? Feeling a little emasculated?" Cartman teased, pushing his door open with his foot. 

What a clever idea. Even though he was helping Kyle out he could still rip on him while he did it.

"You son of a bitch! Let me down!" Kyle cried out.

"Not a chance." Cartman made his way downstairs with Kyle in his arms. On the way down the steps Kyle decided to stop struggling so much. It was actually kind of nice for Cartman to carry him down. He wasn’t feeling any pain except for when he struggled, so he might as well let Cartman hold him. Though it still was a bit embarrassing.

When they reached the front door Cartman gently let Kyle down to stand on his own. Kyle recollected himself, still managing to give a huff of irritation. Cartman seemed like he would never stop grinning. “Well Jew, I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

"Yeah, see ya." Kyle said, stepping through the doorway, trying to figure out what movements would cause the least pain. Cartman watched Kyle walk away for a moment or two before closing the door.

As he made his way back upstairs, he briefly went over in his head where and when would be the best times to try to sneak around with Kyle. The idea itself thrilled Cartman to no end.

**End of Chapter 3**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope I portray these characters correctly.


	4. Build Up

8 AM, Monday. 

After stepping out of the shower Kyle tried to ease his pain by applying cream to his sore area. It seemed to do the trick, at least to the point where people wouldn’t have to ask why he was walking funny. He continued his morning ritual, brushing his teeth as he thought about how today was going to go. Things were bound to be a little bit different between him and Cartman, but he hoped it wouldn’t be too noticable to anyone else.

After all, Cartman had been a little nicer afterwards. Maybe sex just has that effect, especially when it’s that good.

Kyle stopped, his body tensing pleasurably as the events of last night replayed in his head. It was so fresh in his mind that just thinking about it turned him on. The thought of being fucked like that… especially by Cartman… Somehow the fact that it was Cartman made it all the more enticing. Especially when Kyle thought about his voice and that amazing blowjob he gave.

_Oh god…_

Kyle unconsciously gave his hardening member a firm stroke as he remembered how undeniably good it felt. He didn’t do it for long though, he knew he needed to continue getting ready for school. Maybe he could get Cartman to do some of that sneaking around he talked about today. If it was safe of course.

Kyle slipped into his usual clothes, a white t-shirt and jeans topped off with his usual orange jacket and green hat, ate breakfast and headed out.

When Kyle approached the bus stop he saw that the other 3 guys were already there waiting for the bus. With a quick glance of his watch he realized that applying that cream made him a little later than he usually was, but it was no big deal.

As he got closer he noticed that Cartman looked pretty irritated. It sparked his curiosity, and he was soon presented with the reason for Cartman’s irritation.

"Come on, at least tell us if she goes to our school." Kenny pryed. So that was it, they were asking about that ‘girl’ Cartman was seeing again.

"Would you guys just drop it already?" Cartman growled. He looked about ready to punch someone. It seemed like Stan was mostly ripping on Cartman while Kenny was genuinely curious. It wasn’t too unusual for them to tease Cartman since he had a long history of being an ass anyway, but Cartman seemed to take this subject very personally.

"Oh there you are Kyle," Stan chimed, bringing attention to the redhead. Cartman’s eyes seemed to light up when he realized Kyle showed up. Thankfully no one else noticed. Stan continued, "You’re cutting it kinda close. The bus is almost here."

"Yeah I know. I woke up a little late." Kyle replied. This was a lie, but it’s not like he was about to tell the boys he’d been applying cream to his sore asshole. He saw Cartman force a neutral expression. Cartman obviously had some idea that this was a lie. Probably thought Kyle was just walking slow because of last night.

"You could at  _least_  tell us something about what she looks like.” Kenny urged again to Cartman.

"I could, but I won’t. Why the hell are you so interested? She’s mine anyway." Cartman retorted, crossing his arms.

Kyle bristled at this a bit. He knew Cartman was just covering for them, but the idea of him being possessive over Kyle was— no, it wasn’t him. It was a fictional girl that was a placeholder for him. Nothing Cartman said about her applied to Kyle.

"I’m just curious." Kenny said, raising his palms defensively.

"I just wanna know if you’re for real." Stan remarked in an as a matter of fact tone.

"Yeah well, if I had it my way you would’ve never heard of her in the first place." Cartman replied heaving an irritated sigh. The bus pulled up just as Cartman had the last word.

Kyle usually sat next to Stan on the bus, but since Wendy happened to have a free seat (with Bebe being absent), Kyle decided to sit next to Cartman. It worked out since this way they could talk about how they would be sneaking around. Cartman tried to not make it too obvious when he turned to whisper in Kyle’s ear.

"You look at me too much. People are gonna notice." Cartman murmured as quietly as he could. The other kids probably wouldn’t be able to hear him anyway with the bus’s loud hissing and rattling.

Kyle got this worried look about him. He hadn’t even noticed he’d been looking at Cartman that much. Then again, he probably should have figured since he was actively taking note of Cartman’s expression. How embarrassing… even if the others didn’t notice, it probably rubbed Cartman’s ego a little. Kyle tried to not show that it was a big deal, however. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He replied quickly.

"How’s your ass?"

Kyle frowned. “I’m fine now. I used some cooling cream. And you like hearing about my soreness way too much.”

Cartman only responded by smiling to himself. Damn him, he was so proud of the fact that he left Kyle in such pain. Kyle started to wonder if he’d ever even hear the end of it. It seemed like something Cartman would continuously brag about after all. He’d probably retell the story to Kyle in exaggeration too. Even though there wouldn’t be any reason to since Kyle was the one he did it to.

Kyle stopped being so irritated by this when he felt Cartman lightly but deliberately brush his knuckles against Kyle’s outer thigh. He supposed he should have known Cartman would’ve been the type to be frisky, even if it was just a little. That reminded him, “So how’s this sneaking around gonna work out?”

"Easy." Cartman whispered, smirking. "During lunch we’re allowed to go off campus to eat out. So we just go off campus and find somewhere to ‘eat out’."

"Where?"

"Anywhere’s fine if you’re not a snooty Jew about it."

A frown easily formed on Kyle’s face. “You sure you can handle skipping lunch, fatass?” If Cartman was still gonna make jabs, Kyle would make them right back.

Cartman stifled a laugh, seeing that Kyle was obviously a bit riled up. He smiled mischievously at his redheaded friend. “Yeah I’d much rather have some more of that delicious kosher meat anyway.”

Kyle’s eyes went wide, and his face quickly flushed red as he was given back memories of the things Cartman said while he thoroughly enjoyed Kyle’s taste last night.

Kyle’s flustered look was met with a smug smile from Cartman. He seemed to know what he was doing to Kyle. The bastard. Kyle tore his gaze away from the brunette before he allowed his desires to get the better of him. It was turning out to be difficult to keep eye contact with Cartman. Kyle had been getting that need to feel the rush that would happen when they were being intimate. It was difficult to even stay irritated at Cartman without wanting to relive the previous night.

Never in a million years did Kyle think he’d be tempted by urges to have sex with… with Eric Cartman. It was such a weird feeling… but it was enthralling at the same time. And he’d be sneaking around to do it too. Kyle couldn’t help but feel excited by the whole situation.   
____

Kyle managed to keep his mind out of the gutter for the first and second period of class since he didn’t have Cartman in those classes. Now it was 3rd period. Pre-calculus. He shared this class with Stan, who somehow managed to follow Kyle into the Accelerated Learning program. It wasn’t normal for 9th graders to be taking pre-cal.

But seriously, Stan was gonna blow it at this rate. “Dude, can’t the texting wait?” Kyle whispered, leaning towards Stan. The two sat next to each other which was useful whenever Stan wanted to cheat. Stan looked up from his glowing lap.

"Sorry, I’m texting Wendy. It’s important."

"How is it that every time she texts you it’s important?"

Stan smiled in response to this, surprisingly. “Because it always is. Wendy’s pretty important to me.” 

Kyle rolled his eyes. He was of the opinion that love was a great thing sure, but there were times when Stan got unnecessarily carried away with Wendy. That got on his nerves. “If you cared about math half as much as you care about Wendy you’d be making straight A’s, Stan.”

"Ha ha, you think we’re that close?" Stan wore a huge smile on his face. Kyle resisted the urge to slam his head against his desk. Stan seemed to have missed the point completely. Upon acknowledging Kyle’s irritation, Stan sighed. "When you find a girl you really love you’ll get where I’m coming from."

Hah. That wasn’t ever going to happen. Not with a girl.

"Hell, I bet Cartman spends lots of time texting that girl his mom was talking about." Stan remarked.

This again, huh?

"You’re still on that? You really oughta drop it already. Cartman doesn’t seem to like it." Kyle said, trying to control the irritation in his voice. Stan looked surprised at Kyle’s response.

"You know, I thought you of all people would be making jabs at Cartman over all this. But you literally haven’t said a single thing about it to him."

Stan said, looking somewhat concerned now.

Kyle felt his insides twist uncomfortably. Would he really have picked on Cartman for having a girlfriend if he actually had one? If so then he’d made a few detrimental missteps by defending Cartman just now. Kyle cleared his throat, fishing for a good string of logic to recover with.

"Stan, If you haven’t noticed, Cartman’s been acting a lot calmer lately." Kyle pointed out. "If that’s because he’s getting some action now, then why would I provoke him over it?"

Yeah, that would probably work. Cartman had been acting more chilled out. He remembered noticing directly after their make out session on Sunday afternoon, when they were waiting for the Terrance and Phillip trailer to air. Stan and Kenny made small jabs at him but he did a good job of ignoring them after coming back down with Kyle.

"Huh. Now that I think about it, he hasn’t done anything obnoxious lately." Stan agreed, looking very thoughtful. He seemed to be jogging his own memory, trying to think of if Cartman had pissed them off recently.

"Yeah. Maybe getting laid will make him act decent. So just stop bugging him about it and let it be." Kyle proposed in an almost dismissive manner. He saw Stan’s expression drastically change from confused to seemingly enlightened over the course of their conversation. Cool. Kyle was almost caught trying to defend Cartman, but he both recovered and just might have stopped Stan from bugging Cartman about his ‘girl’ again.  
____

Once third period ended Kyle was able to slip away from Stan by feigning sickness. He said he desperately needed to use the bathroom, then made his way through the bustling crowds of students that were heading to lunch. He was heading in the general direction of the bathroom at first to make it seem a bit more convincing, just in case Stan happened to be watching. As soon as he turned the corner Kyle darted toward the nearest exit.

Cartman was waiting right where he said he would in his text, sitting against the big tree just outside of the school campus. The two greeted each other with their eyes and Cartman stood up to join Kyle on the sidewalk.

"Where to?" Kyle asked.

"Just follow me." Cartman smiled, leading the way down the snowflake sprinkled sidewalks.

Kyle could practically feel the anticipation building in his stomach as they walked. He wouldn’t say it out loud but he was really looking forward to fooling around with Cartman again. Though, the feeling seemed mutual at this point. As evidenced by the fact that Cartman was getting Kyle to sneak out to do this.

It was just so great to Kyle that he had somebody to do this with. The sensations of being able to kiss and touch another guy was such a gratifying feeling. He’d been hiding his sexuality for so long, and when Cartman found out about it he just took to it like a duck to water. Even though they were sneaking around like this, fooling around with Cartman gave Kyle this odd sense of freedom.

Kyle was taken out of his mild trance when he noticed Cartman’s movement stutter a bit. He was still walking but he must have noticed something unsettling. Kyle soon found what Cartman had noticed; it was Wendy, holding shopping bags in her hand as she crossed the street onto the sidewalks where Kyle and Cartman were.

The boys glanced at each other anxiously. They sort of wanted to walk much faster to avoid running into her, but she had already crossed the street and was walking back towards the school campus at this point. Their paths would inevitably cross, and if the two tried to avoid it they’d just look suspicious. So they kept walking. And of course, Wendy met up with them.

"Oh, hi Kyle!" Wendy chimed, though she looked slightly confused. Probably because she didn’t expect to see Kyle hanging out with Cartman without the other two of their group. It didn’t surprise either of the boys that she didn’t greet Cartman. Wendy had unsurprisingly come to hate Cartman as much as Cartman hated her.

"Hey Wendy," Kyle returned the greeting, unintentionally lacking enthusiasm. He was very uncomfortable with the idea that Wendy might ask him what he was doing off-campus, especially with his sworn enemy. The best thing he could think of was to distract Wendy with questions of his own. "What’s with the shopping bags?" He asked gesturing to the 4 or 5 bags Wendy held in both her hands.

"Oh, I went out to get some decorations and supplies for the Homecoming dance." Wendy replied. She started to stare suspiciously at Cartman, who met her gaze with a neutral look on his face. Kyle got a bit more nervous as this happened.

"Homecoming? When’s that?" Kyle asked, trying to keep Wendy’s attention away from Cartman as casually as he could.

"…It’s in a few weeks." Wendy answered slowly as she allowed her eyes to wander back to Kyle. "Are you gonna be there, Kyle?"

"Oh, I don’t know. I don’t have anyone to take." Kyle feigned nervous laughter with his reply.

"Oh, I could get you a date, Kyle! There are some girls that have been asking about you. Want their numbers?" Wendy offered as she pulled out her cellphone. Kyle’s expression grew pained as his plan seemed as if it was starting to backfire. He didn’t want to be held up, and he definitely didn’t want any girls he didn’t know pestering him on his phone.

"Oh god, Let us by already, ho." Cartman groaned, catching Wendy’s attention. Kyle’s heart sank, briefly wondering if Cartman was about to blow their cover. Cartman went on, "This dipshit could blow chunks any minute and I have to get him home."

"…Huh? You’re sick, Kyle?"

Well, that is what he told Stan too. He decided that it would hold up pretty well. “Just a bit…” Kyle played along.

"And..  _Cartman’s_  taking you home?” Wendy emphasized Cartman’s name with traces of venom in her voice.

Kyle faked an irritated expression at Cartman. “Everyone else was busy, and I kind of need someone to walk me home. Cartman offered to.” He huffed.

"Yeah,  _Wendy_ , I offered to. I’m doing a good deed.” Cartman pressed, very intentionally using an unconvincing tone.

Wendy rolled her eyes. “Oh I see. You’re using Kyle’s sickness to skip out on the rest of school. Did I get that right?”

“ _No,_  I’m doing a good deed,  _Wendy_. I’m helping my friend Kahl get home.” Cartman spat in an annoying voice, not even trying to sound genuine. Strangely this act of sounding unconvincing worked out to be convincing enough for Wendy to not suspect anything. At least, not the right thing.

"Whatever. You’re gonna wish you hadn’t skipped when your grades start falling behind." Wendy scoffed, passing by them. "Feel better, Kyle." She offered as a last word before she returned to the school grounds.

When she was far away enough, Cartman wrapped his arm around Kyle’s shoulders and smiled down at him. “See jew, all we gotta do is use our quick wits whenever shit like that happens and we’re in the clear.”   
Kyle couldn’t help smiling back, but he remained skeptical. “That wasn’t a big deal though. If we ever get caught in the act we’re fucked.”

"Pfft, we’re not gonna get caught." Cartman scoffed waving his hand dismissively. "We’re way too smart to be caught by anyone in this stupid town."  
_

It didn’t take long for the two boys to reach the place Cartman chose for them to fool around. Cartman grabbed onto Kyle’s wrist and led him in further to the trees, which seemed to get thicker as they went along. It made sense for Cartman to hold onto Kyle; It was such a dense part of the woods that if he looked away from Cartman for even a moment he might’ve gotten lost.

Soon the two made it to a small clearing in the middle of the woods. The leaves in the trees that towered over them almost completely covered the sky, traces of sunlight peeking through and dancing calmly on the ground as the leaves moved in the wind. It was actually a pretty nice looking clearing, and it was perfectly hidden. There was no way anyone could find their way in unless they’d been there before, so Kyle had to assume that Cartman came here enough to where he’d know the spot each time. That or they just got really lucky and found a perfect clearing, but Kyle doubted that.

"We’re doing it here?" Kyle asked, though it was kind of obvious that this was the spot.

"What’s the matter, Jew? Won’t have sex unless it’s somewhere fancy?" Cartman joked, wrapping his arms around Kyle’s waist and pulling him in closer.

"Your bedroom isn’t a fancy place to have sex." Kyle retorted looking up at Cartman. He soon became aware of the soothing warmth that came from their two bodies being pressed together, starting to feel those feelings coming on again. Kyle felt a bit chilled when Cartman took off his hat. Cartman then threaded his fingers through the redhead’s hair, a seductive smirk on his face. Kyle could barely handle it when Cartman looked at him like that. It made his insides writhe in such a pleasurable way.

"Well, here we are Kyle." Cartman purred. He leaned in for a kiss, stopping just short of Kyle’s lips, but Kyle wouldn’t have noticed since he closed the rest of the distance himself. Kyle pressed his hands against Cartman’s back as he eagerly kissed him. A tingle went down Cartman’s spine as Kyle moaned into his mouth. They had both been waiting for this all day; the wait must have made it that much more satisfying to actually touch each other again.

Cartman returned the moan as he kissed back, sliding his hands up and down either side of Kyle’s torso and then squeezing his hips. Cartman felt Kyle’s fingers curl a bit in reaction. He must have liked it when Cartman touched his body like that.

Kyle was a bit surprised when Cartman broke off the kiss, but he waited patiently as Cartman began unbuttoning his jacket. He spread the jacket out over the snow, then sitting down on his makeshift mat and pulling Kyle in front of him. Kyle eyed Cartman’s now more visible torso that his t-shirt clung to. It was the first time Kyle ever bothered to appreciate it, but Cartman had a nice broad frame on him. Kyle absentmindedly placed his hands over Cartman’s collarbone, the sliding them over to his shoulders. Cartman pressed his hands against Kyle’s lower back, pulling him in closer and tenderly pressing his lips against Kyle’s neck.

"Mm.. You know what I like, Kyle..?" Cartman purred softly between kisses. His seductive tone was making Kyle’s pants tighten by the second.

"I like when you grind against me…" He continued, kissing and licking the crook of Kyle’s neck. Kyle hummed a soft moan in response as Cartman curled his fingers lightly around the outer thighs of Kyle’s legs. "I like it so much."

Kyle happily obliged to Cartman’s request, straddling Cartman’s waist between his legs and pressing up against the bulge straining against Cartman’s pants. Cartman’s eyes fluttered shut as he indulged in the wonderful feeling of having their erections pressed together, the only thing separating them a couple thin layers of clothing.

Kyle’s hips rocked back and forth, gaining that same motion that Cartman had loved so much the night before. Cartman pressed back up against Kyle while he moved, firmly rubbing their cocks together further. Kyle felt his heart skip a beat when Cartman held Kyle close to him and smiled lustfully at him. Not only did he enjoy it whenever Cartman looked like this, but it made the feeling even better to know that it was him that Cartman was smiling at. This look was just for Kyle.

Kyle leaned into Cartman’s embrace, pressing his lips against Cartman’s while they moved. Cartman groaned appreciatively into Kyle’s mouth, caressing Kyle’s tongue with his own and running his hands through Kyle’s red hair. They hadn’t kissed the first time they fooled around, but it seemed to go well with their foreplay. Kyle’s movement slowed down a bit when Cartman hooked his fingers into Kyle’s pants, starting to undo them. He looked at Cartman expectantly.

"It’s your turn to be bottom you know," Kyle reminded Cartman. Cartman sighed as he unzipped Kyle’s pants.

"You remembered huh?" He huffed, beginning to undo his own pants.

"It was part of our deal." Kyle replied, gently pushing on Cartman’s shoulders. Cartman rolled his eyes and laid back a bit, holding his torso up slightly with his elbows.

Kyle smiled reassuringly at Cartman. He was expecting Cartman to throw a huge fit over letting Kyle top, but was happy to see that Cartman seemed to keep an open mind. Cartman reached into his backpack that lied on the ground next to him, pulling out a bottle of lube and a condom. Kyle took the condom from his hand, taking note of Cartman’s pouting expression as he slipped it on.

"It actually feels pretty awesome once you’re used to it." Kyle tried reassuring Cartman.

"Whatever, just do it." Cartman grunted, averting his eyes from Kyle. Kyle noticed Cartman was blushing like crazy. Was he really so embarrassed about being bottom?

For all his pouting, Cartman didn’t squirm or whine at all while being prepped. Kyle had complained so much when he was being lubed, but Cartman only frowned a bit when Kyle went in deeper with his finger, making sure the walls inside were slick. In a knee-jerk moment of curiosity, Kyle decided to hook his finger inside Cartman, pressing against his prostate. Cartman’s eyes widened for a second. He looked like he wanted to look at Kyle, but he was far too reluctant to actually do it. As Kyle continued brushing against Cartman’s prostate, Cartman couldn’t help moaning a bit in response.

Kyle felt a little mischievous doing this to Cartman but it was so much fun to see his reaction. He twisted his finger around inside Cartman, then using his other hand to stroke Cartman’s cock at the same time. It was now that Cartman started to squirm.

"Ah.. God dammit Kyle.." Cartman panted, looking incredibly flustered. Despite his protesting he was obviously very aroused, as evidenced by the fact that he was fully erect as Kyle stroked him. Kyle had become overwhelmingly intrigued with these new expressions that he was seeing from Cartman. It was so strange to see him in such a submissive demeanor, but at the same time it was really exciting.

Kyle slipped his finger out, then resting his hands on Cartman’s shoulders and sliding himself on top of Cartman’s body. “Okay… ready?”

"Just do it.." Cartman said huskily, his cheeks beaming red.

Kyle carefully pushed himself into Cartman, watching for the reaction. Cartman squeezed his eyes shut momentarily as Kyle’s length went further inside. He still looked apprehensive, but his body language was noticeably more at ease once Kyle held himself still.

"Oh man…" Kyle gasped as he started to really enjoy the tightness that was engulfing his cock now. The muscles inside clung to his length so tightly, he couldn’t wait to start. He began to move back and forth almost involuntarily, clutching onto Cartman’s hips, trying to control the pace of his thrusts. Cartman groaned as he tried to adjust to the sensation of Kyle’s cock moving inside of him. It still kind of hurt, but it mostly just felt weird. He was suddenly filled with both the sensations of pain and pleasure as Kyle began stroking his cock again, this time while thrusting into him. The mixture of sensations made him start moaning like crazy, causing Kyle in turn to pick his pace, the both of them becoming overwhelmed with pleasure.

Kyle was completely enraptured with the feeling of Cartman’s tight walls sliding back and forth against his cock, and the wonderful feeling he got from squeezing his fingers into Cartman’s thick hips as he thrusted into him. Kyle growled pleasurably as his senses tunnel-visioned on Cartman’s expression and moans.

Cartman, the guy that was known for being relentlessly manipulative, was now bending to the will of Kyle’s movements as he stroked Cartman’s cock and fucked him at the same time. Cartman’s eyes were glazed over, and his moans were so unsophisticated while getting fucked.

The fact that Kyle was having that effect on Cartman was just so exhilarating. With just a few more thrusts Kyle was now incredibly close, and his moans became audibly more excited. Cartman’s body seemed to react to the sweet sound of Kyle’s moaning, as they ended up cumming nearly simultaneously. A shuddery breath came from Kyle’s lips as he felt his seed shoot out, while at the same time he pumped the rest of Cartman’s cum out of him with his hand.

Kyle pulled out of Cartman and sat up to catch his breath. Cartman remained resting on his elbows, his breathing evening out as he regained his senses.

"Fuck… it’s all over my shirt…" Cartman huffed heavily, staring at the splotches of semen on his torso. He took a dab of the fluid on his finger and grimaced at it. Kyle quickly took off his condom and put his pants back on, not wanting the chilly air to get to him now that the heat of sex was dissipating.

"See? Being the bottom isn’t so bad." Kyle expressed, hoping Cartman would agree.

"… I guess." Cartman sighed with the most obnoxiously reluctant tone that he could muster while he was still out of breath. Kyle rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you liked it at least a little."

"Yeah I _guess._  I’m gonna be top next time though, right?” Cartman asked, slipping his pants back on. Kyle scoffed. Despite being completely into it while they fucked, it seemed like Cartman just didn’t like the idea of being dominated. Kyle remembered that during the sex Cartman couldn’t even come close to looking at Kyle directly. His eyes were anywhere but on Kyle. That might be something they’d have to work on.

"Yeah, you’re topping next." Kyle assured him, standing up. He quickly found his hat and fitted it back onto his head, covering his red hair. "I guess we have to skip school now, huh? Wendy might’ve told someone, so we have to keep our story straight."

"Never heard someone sound so bummed about skipping school." Cartman joked, putting the bottle of lube away.

"Let’s just try to be a little more discreet next time. Like maybe we shouldn’t be seen walking together. You can just text me and tell me where to go next time." Kyle suggested.

"What if you get lost?" Cartman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh come on, I’m not gonna get lost." Kyle retorted, "As long as we go somewhere we’re both familiar with it’ll be fine."

"Alright, Kahl. But be vague about your texts. And if you have me named on your contacts, take my name off so only my number shows."

"Why?"

"Cause that shit’s evidence, Jew."

Kyle stared at Cartman questioningly. Kyle didn’t believe anyone would be looking through his texts anytime soon, but then again if anyone did it would be pretty solid evidence that the two were fooling around. He pulled his phone out, going to his contacts, when suddenly his phone started vibrating. Cartman noticed this as well.

"Oh. Stan sent me a text." Kyle said as he opened the text.

_'u ok? wendy said cartman was taking u home'_

Kyle frowned. Wendy told Stan specifically that Cartman was taking him home. That was kind of troubling. He typed back a response.

_'Yeah. I don't want to throw up in any classes so I'm going home early.'_

Now he definitely had to stick to the story. He couldn’t go back to the school and risk bumping into the two of them. He had to go home and feign sickness in front of his parents. Kyle sighed. He really didn’t feel comfortable with lying like this, and he hoped that he wouldn’t have to too often.

Then again, if it meant he could keep messing around then it was definitely worth it.

Kyle glanced back at Cartman, who was still sitting on his jacket expecting Kyle to speak.

"We should get to my house. Wendy told Stan I was sick, so I can’t go back to school. You have to walk me home." Kyle said turning to grab his backpack. He looked back at Cartman who was still sitting on the ground.

"Cartman, let’s go." Kyle urged. Cartman looked up blankly at Kyle, then back down at the ground.

"…Is your ass sore, Cartman?"

Cartman frowned at Kyle, pretty much answering his question. “It’s your fault! You went way too hard!”

Kyle sighed. That might have been true. He hardly felt like he was controlling his thrusts, especially more toward the end. That might also be something he had to work on. He cringed as he watched Cartman try to find a painless way to stand up, but he couldn’t help but feel amused just a little. After all, Cartman had done the same to him the previous night.

"You know, I’d offer to carry you, but I don’t think I could." Kyle snickered.

"Shut up Jew!!" Cartman snapped. "I don’t need your help anyway!" He decided to prove this by quickly jumping to a standing position, effectively alarming Kyle. The resulting stinging he received was intense enough to make him stumble, and a look of undeniable pain appeared on his face.

"Dude!" Kyle jolted forward, quickly going over to Cartman who was leaning over pressing his hands on his bent knees. "Jesus, are you alright?" Kyle asked worriedly.

"The fuck Kahl, do I look alright?!" Cartman groaned.

"You idiot, why’d you do that?" Kyle tried to sound like he was scolding him, but his voice was too overly sympathetic to get that across. Cartman decided against responding, running his hand through his own hair and huffing.

Seeing Cartman like that made Kyle kind of wish he could carry him, or at least something. Though even if he could chances are Cartman would never let him anyway.

Soon enough the brunette forced himself to stand up straight, trying to not visibly react to the pain. “Fucking shit… okay.. let’s go to your stupid house.” Cartman strained.

~

The walk to Kyle’s house was a long and excruciating one for Cartman. He tried not to show it on his face, but the larger boy biting his lower lip or furrowing his brow was enough to tip Kyle off to the fact that Cartman was clearly hurting. Kyle gave him a few apologetic looks during their walk, but Cartman didn’t bother responding to them.

When they knocked on the door to Kyle’s home the door was promptly answered by Sheila, Kyle’s mom. She looked somewhat worried when she saw Cartman standing next to her son.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Broflovski," Cartman chimed, flashing that fake innocent smile that Kyle hated so much. Kyle restrained the knee-jerk reaction he had to grimace. Cartman continued with his charming act, a matching voice to go with it. "I’m sure you’re wondering why we’re not in school. Well you see, your son Kahl here," He gestured to Kyle by placing his hand on Kyle’s shoulder, "Seems to be vomiting at random times. He could pop at any moment. We were hoping you’d let him stay here so he wouldn’t have to worry about making a mess at school, and maybe get some rest."

Sheila’s gaze was focused on Cartman’s hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “Is that true, Kyle? Are you sick?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah… I don’t want to throw up at school. Can I stay home?”

"Of course, Bubbe. But you have to go to school tomorrow." Sheila replied, waving a finger.

"I will." Kyle never missed school so it didn’t seem to be a problem if he stayed home just once. Sheila opened the door to let Kyle in, then turned to smile at Cartman.

"It was nice of you to do that, Eric."

Cartman caught on easily that this was a fake smile, but returned a smile anyway. Without another word Sheila closed the door. Cartman stood in the yard for a moment, a bit confused. Though for all the times he tormented Kyle, maybe he should’ve expected Sheila to hate him. He then turned away to go home, doing his best to ignore the pain in his ass.

When Kyle stepped in to take off his coat he was almost immediately turned around by his mother.

"Now Kyle, you know you can tell me anything, right?" His mother asked in her best comforting tone.

Kyle stared blankly at her. He briefly wondered if there was any way she could know what he and Cartman were doing. But he dismissed the thought, figuring he was being too paranoid. “Well yeah.”

"Your father told me about what happened on Friday." Sheila mentioned in a hushed tone. This made Kyle’s heart sink a bit. "Kyle, you know it’s wrong to take things from your friends, and it’s also wrong to use their sexuality against them. You shouldn’t make fun of him, but, you should also be wary of him. He might try to do something to you. "

"You mean something sexual?" Kyle said, unable to prevent himself from sighing. "Dad told me that too. I don’t think gay people just force themselves on people like that."

"Kyle, Eric is a very troubled young man. He grew up never having a father figure in his life and naturally he’s become a bit confused because of it. There’s a lot he never had the chance to learn because he wasn’t raised properly." Sheila went on to explain, placing her hand on Kyle’s shoulder. 

"Are you saying that’s why he’s gay?" Kyle said, trying to not look too appalled. It was obvious that Cartman was ‘troubled’ as she put it but he hardly believed that it ‘turned’ him gay.

"Well, that’s what happens; he was raised in an abnormal setting. It doesn’t help that his mother pampers him the way she does." His mother replied, saying it all as a matter of factly.

Kyle sighed. He knew that if he argued any further he’d just start digging himself into a hole he didn’t want to be in. “I understand.” He muttered reluctantly.

"So, if he did anything to you, don’t be afraid to tell me or your Father about it."

"It’s fine, ma. He didn’t try anything."

Kyle was doing his best to bite back any angry words he felt coming on. Once it seemed their conversation had ended, Kyle started up the stairs to his room. His parents had been great parents in every other area except for accepting homosexuals, which Kyle happened to be. He tried to remind himself of that. He couldn’t resent his parents for this. He couldn’t let them know how he felt.

They didn’t ever have to know anything about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As it turns out, writing Eric as the bottom is really challenging for me to do, for reasons difficult to explain.


	5. Please

Before Kyle and Cartman knew it Saturday had come around again. It’d now been a full week since they first started messing around.

Over the past 4 days the two boys had been getting a little frustrated. They had agreed to stay on campus when they snuck around to prevent any complications like what they had with Wendy, but that also ended up meaning they couldn’t go all the way. They were able to make out and engage in heavy petting, but they weren’t able to do much more for fear of being too loud or just getting caught with their pants down.

Sexual tension was building considerably between the two boys. It made being in front of other people a bit frustrating for them. They had to keep their hands off of each other, and that was turning out to be the worst thing ever.

Saturday meant that it was time to meet up at the court again. Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman all showed up to play Basketball at 11:30 am. They paired into teams, Kenny and Cartman against Stan and Kyle.

Despite getting considerably better at the game, Cartman still retained his habit of hogging the ball. It was annoying and slowed the game down for everyone, but no one saw the use in complaining about Cartman’s tendencies. Except for Kyle.

He blocked another shot from Cartman. “Will you stop hogging the ball already?”

Cartman paused to glare at Kyle, then went to retrieve the ball Kyle knocked out of his hand.

"I don’t know, why don’t you stop blocking my shots?" He retorted, grabbing the ball and returning to standing in front of Kyle. He was no longer dribbling the ball, just holding it in his hands.

"Challenge is part of the game, fatass. Deal with it."

"Oh! Then I guess you can deal with me ‘hogging’ the ball, huh?" Cartman spat sarcastically.

"It’s campy as shit! All you’re doing is slowing the game down! Pass the ball to Kenny for fuck’s sake!" Kyle snapped.

Stan and Kenny hung back a bit to let the two ride it out. It was all too common for Kyle and Cartman to suddenly start bickering, but it usually didn’t go anywhere.

"Why should I? To make you feel better about whatever jumped up your ass this morning? What’s next, you want me to lick your balls too?" Cartman barked, getting unnecessarily close to Kyle’s face to intimidate him.

Rage flashed through Kyle’s eyes as he used both arms to shove Cartman away as a warning. “Get the fuck out of my face!”

"Oh! Does that make you upset?!" Cartman snapped as he lunged forward grabbing Kyle by his shirt and pulling him up to his height. "Why don’t you deal with it, Kahl?!"

Suddenly the situation had become very unusual. It was rare for the two to get physically violent for such a small reason. Stan and Kenny quickly jumped in to pull the two apart before they got the chance to hurt each other, Stan locking his arms around under Cartman’s shoulders and Kenny holding Kyle’s wrists. Kyle didn’t need to be held back as much since he didn’t make the first move, despite very angrily glaring at his larger friend.

"I’ll kick your ass, fat boy!" Kyle jolted forward again only to make a point, knowing he was being restrained.

"I’d like to see you try!" Cartman shouted, shifting roughly in Stan’s hold. Stan turned Cartman around to face him.

"Knock it off already! What the hell’s wrong with you, Cartman!?" Stan growled in a very commanding tone. The intensity in Cartman’s eyes visibly lessened when faced with Stan’s angry expression, though it was still very present.

"Oh, stay out of it!" Cartman demanded angrily, attempting to turn away. Stan gripped Cartman’s shoulders.

"No, seriously! Knock it off! I don’t know if that girl you were with broke up with you or isn’t giving you action or whatever, and I don’t really don’t care! You take your bullshit up with her, not any of us!" Stan asserted angrily.

Cartman was struck with an appalled look on his face, his mouth hanging open slightly. Kyle’s expression was to the same effect.

After a few moments Cartman gave an irritated huff, pulling away from Stan’s grasp. “I don’t need this shit.” He growled.

Stan and Kenny watched as their brunette friend stormed off, exchanging confused glances. The two of them didn’t expect Cartman and Kyle’s bickering to escalate the way it did. Kyle shrugged off Kenny’s grasp and started to walk away as well.

"Kyle, where are you going?" Stan said as he followed behind Kyle.

"I don’t want to play anymore." Kyle muttered.

"Dude, screw Cartman. We can just play without him." Stan offered reassuringly. Kyle stopped, sighing a bit.

"Stan, just leave me alone." Kyle replied in a somewhat pleading manner, keeping his eyes on the ground. Stan stared confusedly at Kyle for a moment or two, before complying and walking back to the court to Kenny.

Kyle continued to walk down the sidewalk, heading towards his house. He stared at the pavement for a while as he walked. Once he felt he walked far enough, he leaned against a fence and pulled out his cellphone, dialing Cartman’s number on it and pressing the call button.

Once the ringing stopped and he heard white noise on the other line, Kyle spoke. “Okay, I’m alone now.”

"Cool," the phone emitted Cartman’s voice from the other line. "On the side of my house there’s a flower bush with a garden gnome in front of it. Behind that bush is a little window that leads to the basement. You should be able to slip through."

"You’re sure I can fit through?" Kyle asked in a whisper.

"Yeah I tested it."

"Alright, I’ll see you there."

Kyle hung up and put his cellphone away. A smile formed on his face as he hurriedly walked towards Cartman’s house. This whole organized manner of sneaking around was proving to be great fun. Not to mention once he got to Cartman’s house it would just get that much more awesome.

Once he located the flower bush Cartman mentioned, he slipped behind it and located the window. He gave a few knocks on the window, prompting Cartman to come over and open it for him. His slender frame slipped through the window easily and he landed in Cartman’s arms, who flashed him a mischievous smile.

"Told you they’d buy it."

Kyle stepped down to stand on his own, returning an apprehensive smile to the brunette. “I feel kind of bad for tricking them. Especially Stan… he seemed really worried.”

Cartman let out a laugh at this. “Yeah, he bought the whole thing hook line and sinker, he was so pissed off at me!”

Kyle pursed his lips, making a pouting expression. “You’re lucky he didn’t follow me for long. I really didn’t want to have to snap at him to get him to leave.”

Cartman shrugged this off easily, just being happy that their act played out as well as it did. The two didn’t really have to act too much, it was normal for them to argue, and the sexual tension between them was very frustrating. In a way that whole act was real, minus the melodramatic ending. Kyle and Cartman would never back down from each other and walk away. It just wasn’t like them.

"Stan was so worried about you, Kahl. Must be nice to have a prince charming there to protect you, huh?" Cartman teased, pinching Kyle’s cheek. Kyle rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," Kyle scoffed, lightly smacking Cartman’s hand away. "Do we have everything we need?"

Cartman smiled, wrapping his arm around Kyle’s shoulders and leading him to the back of the basement. In the corner there lied a large mattress with cushions spread all about it. There were condoms and lube resting on a dresser drawer next to the bed. The two promptly shed their jackets and hats, standing in front of the bed.

"I told my Mom not to bother me while I’m down here, and I also barred the door shut. No one’s gonna catch us down here." Cartman explained, smiling at Kyle. Kyle returned the expression. Their plan played out perfectly, so the two boys were both feeling pretty proud of themselves.   
Cartman grabbed onto Kyle’s arms and sat on the bed, pulling Kyle on top of him to straddle his lap. Kyle could feel Cartman’s erection pressing against him, already decently hard. Kyle laughed softly upon acknowledging this, rubbing his hardening member up against Cartman’s. Kyle caressed Cartman’s shoulders in his palms, leaning in to press his lips against Cartman’s neck. He always liked it when Cartman did it to him, but he hadn’t tried it himself.

He trailed kisses down the length of Cartman’s neck, then stopping at the crook and biting it softly. Cartman replied with a shivery moan of approval and slid his hands against Kyle’s stomach, tugging his shirt up. It took a few moments for Kyle to realize Cartman wanted Kyle’s shirt off. He gave Cartman a blank look. Despite having sex twice before neither of them had really gone shirtless, as odd as it sounded. It just turned out that way.

Kyle hesitantly obliged to Cartman’s gesture, helping him remove the shirt. Cartman tossed the shirt to the side of the mattress. He turned to Kyle, taking a moment or two to admire Kyle’s shirtless form, tenderly running his large hands up and down Kyle’s torso. Kyle felt his face heat up when Cartman did this. It felt kind of weird to feel self-conscious since they’d already fucked an all, but Kyle still couldn’t help feeling shy. It was a new experience to him.

Cartman had clearly noticed Kyle blushing, since he now held a wide grin on his face. He brushed his thumb against Kyle’s lower lip, then pressing their lips together. He wrapped his arms around Kyle, holding him against his own body, allowing Kyle’s bare skin to brush up against his clothed chest as they kissed. It turned out to be an oddly comforting feeling.

Cartman moved his lips from Kyle’s, placing firm kisses down Kyle’s neck, collarbone, and kissing down onto his chest. Kyle yelped when he felt Cartman bite on his nipple.

"Ah! Cartman, don’t!" Kyle cried out, tugging at Cartman’s hair. Cartman looked up at Kyle, still holding him close.

"Hmm, you don’t like that?" Cartman asked with a playful grin on his face. Kyle was not so amused. 

"Cartman, seriously, don’t bite me there." Kyle said firmly. He became more flustered when Cartman began laughing. "It’s not funny, dude! That area’s sensi-tt-a.. ahh.."

Kyle’s protests melted into moans when Cartman began swirling his tongue against Kyle’s nipple.

"Okay, I won’t bite~" Cartman cooed against Kyle’s chest, sending chills through Kyle’s body. Kyle felt a bit embarrassed having Cartman talk to him like that, but it was still arousing nonetheless. Cartman continued rubbing up against Kyle’s crotch as he paid tender attention to Kyle’s nipple, licking and suckling at it. His thumb brushed over the other one, then pressing against it firmly. Kyle tried to control his shakey breaths as Cartman’s talented mouth pleasured his chest.

Before he knew it Kyle had been eased down, his back now against the bed. Cartman sat up and grabbed the lube and a condom, smiling down at Kyle as he undid his pants. Kyle followed suit, unbuckling his belt as Cartman squirted lube onto his fingers. Kyle noticed that there wasn’t that much foreplay this time around, but he wasn’t too surprised since they hadn’t been able to have full on sex since Monday. The eagerness between them seemed unanimous. After slipping his condom on and giving his dick a few encouraging strokes Cartman turned his attention back to Kyle.

With his pants now off, Kyle realized he was completely naked, which was a surprising first considering his situation with Cartman. Cartman took Kyle’s hips in his hands and stroked them firmly, causing Kyle to shift around nervously in response.

Cartman chuckled softly, then sliding two fingers into Kyle’s opening. Kyle tried his best to hold back a gasp, but he couldn’t help it. As soon as he felt those fingers invade him, he remembered the wonderful feeling of having Cartman fuck him. Pre-cum dripped from his cock in anticipation.

Cartman glanced down at Kyle’s crotch, humming thoughtfully as he grasped onto it and moved down to face it. He glanced back up at his red haired friend when he was met with an excited moan.

He smirked teasingly at Kyle as he held the the trembling erection in his hand.

"What is it?" He purred.

The two of them both knew what Kyle was so excited for. Kyle was practically aching to feel Cartman’s mouth on his dick again; Cartman knew that very well. Kyle couldn’t help but feel frustrated with every second Cartman let go by, just teasing him like this. Cartman brushed his lips very lightly against Kyle’s flesh, waiting for the reaction. Kyle moaned lightly again, bucking his hips. Kyle gave a frustrated groan when Cartman didn’t continue going down on him. Cartman was loving this.

"Talk to me Kyle…" Cartman purred seductively. "Tell me what you want."

"Ah.. please give it to me…" Kyle whimpered.

A surge of pleasure went into Cartman’s cock upon hearing Kyle like this. His expression became practically drunk with lust, but he kept his wits about him. “It?” He repeated. He pressed his tongue firmly against Kyle’s shaft, encouraging Kyle to actually specify what he was asking for. Kyle’s legs tensed in response to the little taste of ecstasy he’d been given.

"Mm..! Cartman… please go down on me..!" Kyle gasped loudly.   
That sweet perfect sound of Kyle’s voice pleading like that drove Cartman crazy. He knew that Kyle usually had so much pride; these submissive pleas were a perfect testament to how badly Kyle wanted it. Cartman happily answered Kyle’s begging, promptly plunging Kyle’s cock into his mouth. Kyle gave a prolonged moan nearly loud enough to echo around the room as Cartman took him to heaven in his mouth.

"Ahh…! It feels so good, Cartman!" Kyle groaned loudly, tightening his fingers in Cartman’s hair. Cartman wasted no time in tantalizing Kyle, moaning against the erection between his lips.Cartman’s moan was both for Kyle’s pleasure and in response to the lovely sound of Kyle voice. Hearing Kyle sound so lost in arousal was such a turn on. Kyle bucked his hips, pushing his length further into Cartman’s mouth. Cartman happily invited this, pressing his lips tightly around Kyle’s shaft as he increased the suction on Kyle’s cock with his tongue.

He gripped onto Kyle’s thigh with one hand, slipping his finger inside Kyle while he continued to take the cock back and forth in his mouth. Kyle arched his back and mewled in ecstasy as Cartman brushed his finger against his prostate, Kyle’s senses being overwhelmed with pleasure. It was so amazing to see Kyle go nuts like this. In fact it was driving Cartman crazy as well. He wasn’t even being touched and he still felt like he could easily cum just from the sound of Kyle getting off.

Cartman let Kyle’s throbbing cock slide from his lips as he pulled back, bringing his hand over the head. He placed his other hand onto Kyle’s leg, spreading it from the other a bit.

"Think you can hold it a little longer?" Cartman panted, looking down lustfully at Kyle.

"N-No.. I can’t possibly.." Kyle moaned, shaking his head quickly. He had already surprised himself by holding on this long.

"Just try," Cartman commanded breathlessly as he eagerly positioned himself between Kyle’s legs. "I won’t take long either…"

Cartman pushed his aching cock into Kyle’s opening, causing Kyle to throw his head back against the pillow below him. He clenched at the sheets as he whimpered loudly, but his senses seemed to move past the pain of entry phenomenally quickly. He soon took in the pleasurable feeling of Cartman fucking him, and began moving back against him in order for Cartman to go deeper.

"Ohhh fuck yes..!" Cartman hissed as he thrusted vigorously into Kyle, indulging in the sound of Kyle’s sweet little voice whimpering just for him. Kyle could feel Cartman’s fingers digging into his hips, but he hardly cared about any mild discomfort with the state he was in. Cartman was fucking him good and deep and he loved every second of it. Kyle began to gasp excitedly, pressing his knuckles against his forehead.

"I’m.. I’m gonna cum…!" Kyle cried out. As soon as the warning came, Kyle’s seed exploded out all over his torso, soaking his chest. Cartman swiftly followed, a long primitive groan escaping his lips as he filled his rubber with semen.

He gave a few more slower thrusts, letting Kyle’s tightness milk out the last of his orgasm. Once he pulled out of Kyle he rolled onto his back next to his friend. The two boys lied there for a moment, simply catching their breath and recovering from all the excitement.

"God damn…" Cartman said between breaths, "That felt awesome."

Kyle nodded in agreement as he continued to allow his body to rest. As his senses returned to him, he became somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that he was naked, and that there was semen all over his chest. He sat up, wiping at the semen, unintentionally collecting a lot on his fingers. Cartman glanced at Kyle curiously.

"Do you have a towel or something?" Kyle asked, looking at the mess he made disapprovingly.

"There’s a shower down here that you can use. There should be a towel in there too." Cartman replied, pointing to said shower in the corner of the room. The shower was kind of skimpy and on the small side, but then again it was the basement. Kyle couldn’t complain much.

"Thanks." He scooted off the bed, briskly heading into the shower. He felt a bit of soreness in his ass when he walked but compared to the first night this was definitely pain he could ignore.

Once he’d finished watching a naked Kyle walk into the shower, Cartman peeled off his condom, tying it up neatly and tossing it into the garbage bin. He then lied contently on the basement mattress, feeling very satisfied with the events of the past week. The idea that this was happening was all so dream-like. But then again, Cartman’s dream sex was never this good. It didn’t give him these kind of orgasms. It was the real deal.

All this happened because he lost his notebook. Now instead of cheating people out of their money and eventually boasting about it, he was out sneaking around and having sex. With Kyle, of all people. What a great trade.

A few minutes later Kyle emerged from the shower, drying his hair off with a towel. Cartman was happy to see that it was still cut short. Kyle’s hair was notorious for growing back at a ridiculous rate, so it could mean that Kyle was at least trimming the thing. The idea of Kyle doing that because of something Cartman said made him feel warm inside.

He noticed Kyle glancing over at their coats and then digging into his coat pocket. Cartman watched curiously from the bed. Kyle had pulled out his cellphone.

"Aw dude.. the guys are really worried. They’ve been texting me this whole time. They don’t even know where I am," Kyle said with concern in his voice.

"Oh no, they’re  _worried_.” Cartman repeated, waving his hands mockingly. “Someone call an ambulance.”

"I have to go clear this up." Kyle said, quickly starting to put on his clothes. Cartman rolled his eyes.

"What’s to clear up? We fight all the time and always get over it. The guys are used to that!" Cartman insisted, sitting up to face Kyle. Kyle shook his head.

"We  _argue_. We don’t usually get physically violent and then storm off. I think we escalated it too quickly. They’re gonna suspect something.”

"You’re giving them too much credit, Kahl." Cartman scoffed, half laughing. "And even if they did suspect something, I’m sure the idea of us fucking is the furthest thing from their mind."

"All that needs to happen for us to be caught is to do something suspicious and get the ball rolling." Kyle remarked as he zipped up his jacket. "We need to go back there and make some explanations for them."

Cartman sighed in defeat. “Fine Kahl, go give them an explanation. I’ll stay here. They’d get suspicious if we went together.”

That was definitely something Kyle agreed with. That and the fact that Cartman would probably never explain his reasons for getting angry to other people. Cartman had gotten angry for seemingly no reason in the past, and no one ever figured out why. Nobody really cared enough.

… That sounded kind of sad, but it was Cartman after all.

"Alright. See ya, Cartman." Kyle said as he fitted his hat back on. He kind of wished that he and Cartman could hang out a little longer; he knew once he went back to talk to Stan and Kenny he probably wouldn’t be seeing Cartman for the rest of the day. Cartman had to act like he was still pissed off. Kyle supposed it wouldn’t be too bad spending time away from him, but Kyle wondered what Cartman would be doing in the meantime.

__

"Kyle! There you are!" Stan exclaimed, both him and Kenny running up to Kyle when he was in sight again. Kyle had returned back to the basketball court; thankfully Stan and Kenny had decided to keep playing instead of going out looking for Kyle. That could have set his and Cartman’s plan back a bit if they actually looked thoroughly enough.

"You okay dude?" Stan asked placing his hand on Kyle’s shoulder. 

"I’m fine. Sorry, I’ve been worried about my grades and stuff’s been happening at home. It’s been pretty stressful." Kyle explained as he heaved a sigh. "Then Cartman went and pushed it. I just… had to clear my head, y’know?"

"It’s cool Kyle. Cartman was the one that took it too far." Stan assured Kyle. "He’s just so insecure that he always feels the need to lash out for fickle reasons."

Kyle cringed at this. He hadn’t had many qualms about talking shit about Cartman in the past, but that seemed to change after 4 or 5 make out sessions with the guy. He felt the need to defend Cartman, but he bit his tongue, knowing that would seem strange to his friends.

"Y’know, I think you might’ve been right, Stan." Kenny piped up, causing Kyle and Stan to turn their heads. It was rare for Kenny to pitch in his two cents on matters like this. He was usually so quiet. "Cartman’s been looking pretty frustrated at school. Maybe him and that girl he was seeing were having a hard time."

Oh geez, this kept coming up again and again. Kyle supposed it was technically true though; Cartman was frustrated for most of the weekdays because the two of them couldn’t have sex. Though considering their situation Cartman should have been happy they were getting to do anything at all. What a brat… but then again, the lack of sex had frustrated Kyle as well.

"Huh. That’s true… you think something bad happened?" Stan wondered aloud. Kenny shrugged.

"Cartman looked pretty hurt when you brought her up. And then he just quietly walked away. I think something’s going on with him."   
Stan’s brow furrowed at this. It was difficult for anyone to imagine that Cartman got his feelings hurt. He’d always given off the impression of being too daft to care. But it seemed that Cartman had been maturing over the years. Kenny placed his palm on Stan’s back. “Stan, I think you should talk to him.”

"What? No, he probably wants to be alone right now." Stan dismissed easily. Kenny shook his head.

"He’s always been alone dude. I don’t think anyone’s given him real closure for anything." Kenny expressed with a look of pity on his face.  
It was actually surprising that Kenny spoke with this much concern towards Cartman. But it made sense; Kenny did hang around Cartman a lot when he was younger. When Stan and Kyle were off together, Kenny and Cartman would pair off as well. There was probably a lot Kenny knew about Cartman. The thought of this seemed to catch Kyle’s interest.

"Alright, I’ll go talk to him." Stan grunted. He turned away from the boys and started down the sidewalk, dragging his feet along the way. Kyle glanced at Kenny who had a completely blank look on his face. After a moment or two, he turned to Kyle.

"So you’re good now, right?" Kenny asked. Kyle blinked in mild confusion.

"Oh, y-yeah." That’s right, he was ‘angry’ before, wasn’t he? He let his eyes wander around for a moment before prompting Kenny. "I sometimes forget how close you used to be with Cartman."

Kenny sighed. “We weren’t that close. We were friends, sure, but I don’t think anyone could be too close to Cartman without losing their fucking mind.”

Kyle let this thought set in his mind for a while longer, then forcing a laugh out. “Yeah, probably not.”

"Anyway, I’ve been meaning to ask you something." Kenny said after quickly clearing his throat. Kyle gave Kenny a confused look, his attention successfully caught.

____

Cartman sat in his room, at the edge of his bed, blowing into his harmonica. He’d been playing games on his Xbox while Kyle was gone, but he eventually got bored and decided to practice a new song.

"Damn it, that’s not right either," Cartman muttered to himself, removing his lips from his instrument. He cycled through the notes, trying to find the ones he was looking for when he suddenly heard the doorbell ring. He was about to go back to playing the harmonica and let his mom answer it, but the thought popped into his head that it might be Kyle. He quickly but quietly made his way downstairs, answering the door before his mom could get to it.

Cartman was pretty surprised when he was met with Stan in his doorway.

"Hey Cartman." Stan greeted, forming an apologetic look on his face. "I.. I wanted to say sorry for saying those things at the park."

Cartman stared blankly at Stan for a moment, then remembering what Stan was talking about. He’d honestly forgotten what Stan had said. He’d brought up that ‘girl’ again, saying he wasn’t getting action or something. Cartman held back a smile. He found it funny because what Stan said at the time was true, but then he had the most amazing sex directly after the fact.

"… I was out of line." Stan forced out hesitantly. "What you do with that girl is your personal business."

Cartman released a sigh, stepping outside and closing the door to his house. He faced Stan, who looked a bit confused.

"Honestly Stan, you were right." Cartman started softly. "Things really weren’t working out. … She broke up with me."

Stan was very taken aback by the audible vulnerability in Cartman’s voice. “.. Oh dude.. I’m sorry.”

Cartman caught this as an opportunity to erase that whole rumor forever. He was pretty tired of Stan and Kenny and whoever else they told trying to pry information out of him over a girl that didn’t exist. This way the problem would just disappear, and he wouldn’t even have to let them know that there was no girl.

"Come on, do you really think I could hold any kind of relationship?" Cartman laughed bitterly. "I knew it wasn’t gonna last. Anyone could see her breaking up with me from a mile away. I mean, she didn’t even want people knowing we were dating." 

Stan was completely silent for the next few moments. What Cartman was saying seemed pretty real, and it sounded like it was really getting to him. He had trouble figuring out what to say next.

”.. Cartman, if you had a problem, you could have just told us.” He finally mustered. “It’d probably make you feel better than just lashing out like you did.”

"Look it doesn’t matter now. I’m over her." Cartman said, forcing his eyes to stay on the ground. "Thanks for coming over to talk to me though."

"Sure. No problem, man." Stan gave Cartman his best reassuring smile. "Feel better, alright?"

"Yeah, sure."

Stan turned away, leaving Cartman to go back into his house. As Cartman closed the door he released a large sigh. He’d been used to lying like that, but acting vulnerable like that made him feel a little sick to his stomach. It hadn’t been the first time he acted that way; he did it often to get things he wanted. But something about this time made it a bit different.   
___

"What is it, Kenny?" Kyle asked. He was actually pretty curious since Kenny really wasn’t the type to ask for favors. He watched as Kenny took a deep breath.

"You’re single, right?" He asked.

The question caught Kyle off guard. He could feel his stomach lurch in response. “… Yeah.. why?” Kyle managed to say. He wasn’t quite sure if this was a lie or not. Was he single..? Well, he wasn’t with Cartman…They were just …friends with benefits.

"Okay great! I just need to ask a favor." Kenny started, brushing his palms against each other in a fidgety manner. "See, I’m going out with Bebe right now."

"I know."

"And I’ve been working on convincing her to have a threesome with me. Me and two girls."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t surprised that Kenny wanted a threesome, he was just confused as to why Kenny was talking to him about it. Kenny continued. “She finally agreed to it. But see, she said she’d only do it on one condition. That we had a threesome with me and another guy first.”

Kyle’s expression went blank. “… Kenny… are you asking me to have a threesome with you and your girlfriend?”

Kenny nodded. “You were Bebe’s first suggestion. Come on Kyle, help me out.” He pleaded, clasping his hands together.

The idea that Bebe asked specifically for him wasn’t too much of a surprise. Apparently the girl had always admired him for some reason. Specifically, she liked his ass. Still, Kyle was still completely weirded out by the whole idea.

”.. I don’t know man.” Kyle said, turning away. Kenny followed Kyle’s line of sight trying to get the redhead to hear him out.

"Kyle, you won’t even have to touch me. We’ll both be focusing on Bebe. I’m pretty much giving you a free sample of my girl here." Kenny offered.  
Kyle winced inwardly, realizing that Kenny was completely oblivious to the fact that Kyle had no real interest in women. And he definitely didn’t have an interest in participating in a threesome. It was out of the question.

"Sorry, I’m not interested." Kyle stated firmly. Kenny’s disheartened reaction made Kyle feel a bit sorry for him.

"Please, Kyle. Just this one time, and I won’t ever ask for anything else." Kenny persisted again. "Can’t you at least consider it?"

"Fine, Kenny.. I’ll think about it." Kyle sighed reluctantly. Kenny flashed him a bright thankful smile. Kyle’s manners got the better of him, as he returned the smile despite being completely disinterested in the idea.

Kenny leaned against the gate of the basketball court, making small talk with Kyle. Kyle responded decently, but his mind was still on the suggestion that Kenny made. There was no way Kyle would go through with such a thing, but Kenny was being persistent… Well, it was Kenny. Maybe he could keep a secret.

It’d probably be safe to let Kenny know that he was gay.

That way it would be plainly obvious to Kenny that he had no interest in doing what Kenny was suggesting they do. 


	6. Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this chapter was really damn difficult to write. I hope it came out alright, I rewrote it a couple times. I'm still not happy with it though...

_"Do you really think I could hold any kind of relationship..?_

_I knew it wasn’t gonna last._

_She didn’t even want people to know we were dating.”_

The thoughts echoed in Cartman’s mind even now. Even a whole sunset and sunrise after he’d said them. The words he spoke to Stan were supposed to be lies. But much to Cartman’s horror, he found them to be true.

He was ‘Cartman,’ after all. He was so insensitive to other people. How could he ever have anything — anything even close to a relationship? No one in their right mind would even give him a chance.

He’d like to think that Kyle was the exception. The person that had finally given him a chance at having something like a relationship. But in the end their relationship was based on lust, and really, how long was that going to last?

Cartman grimaced visibly, trying to clear his head of the negative thoughts clouding it. He had to look on the bright side of things.   
He’d lusted after Kyle for an incredibly long time, and now he was getting what he wanted. That was a lot more than he could have expected. He should be happy. He was happy.

Cartman glanced over at the boy sitting next to him. The little ginger Jew he’d wanted for so long, sitting there in the theater next to him, his greenish-blue eyes plastered on the big screen. Lustful thoughts filled Cartman’s head as he watched Kyle’s entranced face focus on the movie they’d come to see. Whatever the fuck it was.

It was just a shame that they’d come here with friends. Wendy was sitting next to Kyle, next to her was Stan, and on the other side of Cartman was Kenny and his bitch Bebe. They were surrounded, which meant Cartman couldn’t just start molesting his little Jew like he wanted to. He couldn’t nibble at his ear or kiss his neck or anything like that.

Fucking around in the theater was just so perfectly cliche that Cartman was torturing himself by not doing it. Though, the cliche made sense. The darkened room, the loud distracting noises from the movie…  
It was the perfect guise.

Leaning back into his seat, Cartman leisurely slid his hand onto Kyle’s knee in the same motion, as to not look obvious to anyone else about it. Of course it was plainly obvious to Kyle what he was doing. Kyle’s expression changed slightly. His eyes were still on the screen but the edges of his lips had twitched ever so slightly upon contact, and his leg bristled in response.

Cartman went further to get Kyle’s attention, curling his fingers into a light grip against Kyle’s knee, then sliding his hand up onto Kyle’s thigh. Kyle shifted uncomfortably in his seat and glanced at Cartman. He liked what Cartman was doing but he wanted to watch the movie.

Slowly though, the feeling of Cartman rubbing his leg so soothingly, and the fact that he kept creeping his hand further and further towards Kyle’s crotch was getting incredibly distracting.

"Don’t get me worked up, Asshole." Kyle whispered when he turned his head to Cartman. Cartman simply grinned longingly at the redhead and continued his pesky touching. His large hand was now stroking Kyle between his legs, directly on his inner thigh. Even under the fabric of Kyle’s pants, his skin tingled with the sensation of Cartman’s fingers rubbing against it. Kyle tried to not let his arousal distract him, but it was proving to be nearly impossible. Cartman’s little ruse for attention was unfortunately or fortunately working on him very well. It was pissing Kyle off and turning him on at the same time.

He tugged on Cartman’s sleeve, then tilting his head towards the exit.

"Restroom," Kyle whispered to Cartman as he stood up out of his seat. He slid between the other seated people in the theater - Stan and Wendy - and headed towards the double doors. He glanced back to see that Cartman had followed suit.

Once the boys were inside the restroom Kyle had pressed Cartman up against the door.

"You dick, we were in front of all our friends." Kyle growled quietly. He looked irritated but he’d still retained his arousal from Cartman’s petting.

"Relax Kahl. It’s dark as fuck in the theater, no one would’ve seen anything." Cartman shrugged casually. A smirk grew on his face. "Or do you think you would’ve started moaning sooner or later?"

Kyle’s cheeks warmed up at the sight of Cartman’s smirk. “Knock it off.”

An amused look came across Cartman’s face as he took in Kyle’s reply. “It was just a little touching, Kyle.” He regained that seductive tone in his voice as he slid his hands onto Kyle’s waist. “Do you really like it that much?”

Kyle’s cheeks were now flushed as he tried to retain his irritated look towards Cartman. Hearing Cartman’s voice like that made him tingle all over, but he couldn’t give in and let Cartman have the satisfaction of pulling his strings.

"Not in public, Cartman." Kyle said sternly, pulling Cartman’s hands off his waist as to make a point.

"Sheesh Jew. Live a little." Cartman pouted, pushing his hands into his pockets. Kyle rolled his eyes. He couldn’t just give Cartman what he wanted all the time, or they really were going to get caught. He sighed, leaning forward and rubbing his palm up against Cartman’s crotch. Cartman’s eyes lit up when Kyle touched him, looking expectantly at the redhead.

"Be patient." Kyle said simply. He retracted his hand, folding his arms against his chest. "Let’s get back to the others." He gestured for Cartman to move from the door.

Cartman gazed in astonishment at Kyle for a moment or two. “What the— you can’t just do that!”

Kyle cleared his throat, trying to hide an amused smirk. “Come on, let’s go.” Cartman stared incredulously at the boy, then moving out of the way of the door and following Kyle out. He still pouted a bit as they walked back to the theater room. Kyle teasing him so plainly this way drove Cartman nuts, but at the same time it was kind of hot.

Throughout the rest of the movie Cartman behaved for the most part except for the occasional hand brushing against Kyle’s leg. It wasn’t too bad;if he was being perfectly honest Kyle found the contact flattering.

Cartman didn’t seem at all interested in the movie. Kyle didn’t blame him. It turned out to be a generic romantic comedy that Wendy picked out for her and Bebe to watch with their boys. Kyle and Cartman just came along because Stan and Kenny asked them to, to keep the girls from getting carried away with pining for favors from their men.

It was kind of funny. In a way they were a third wheel but at the same time, they were fucking each other so technically they were a couple too. …Technically.

"That was such a sweet movie, wasn’t it?" Wendy gushed before taking a sip of her drink. The six of them had gone to KFC in via Stan’s car after the movie, and now were engaging in idle banter.

"It was okay." Stan replied dismissively.

"Oh gosh, I love how that guy actually treated the girl like a human being. They’re finally getting it right!" Wendy exclaimed, persisting the topic of the movie.

"He was so whipped. You could tell he was just doing all that to get some pussy." Cartman chuckled, absently chewing on a chicken strip. Wendy visibly bristled at this. She looked like she wanted to start an argument with Cartman, but the rest of the group didn’t want that.

"Did you see the dress she was wearing on the boat ride? I’m totally getting a dress like that next weekend! It’s almost identical to mine!" Bebe exclaimed.

"Oh, your dress for Homecoming? I already pre-ordered my patterns. I can’t wait!" Wendy squealed in response. There was a noticeable relief in the boys’ body language when the girls decided to ignore Cartman’s little comment. Kyle nudged at Cartman’s stomach, as a warning to get him to try to behave. Cartman promptly brandished his middle finger to Kyle.

"We almost have enough for Kenny’s suit too. Did you get yours yet, Stan?" Bebe asked, looking over at Stan. Stan nodded and made a small grunt in response while eating a drumstick. "Hey, we gotta get Kyle a suit too!" Bebe remarked, mostly to Wendy.

Kyle raised an eyebrow at this. “What?”

"Oh yeah! I think Kyle would look good in grey. But he also would look really good in brown." Wendy prattled, looking over and seeming to examine Kyle’s frame.

"W-Wendy, I already told you. I’m not going to homecoming. I don’t have a date." Kyle reminded her, trying to not sound irritated.

"Oh don’t worry about that. We made a list for you to choose from! We called Heidi, Red and Jennifer, and they all think you’re pretty cute!" Bebe chipped in cheerfully. "Heidi said she’d even want to go out with you as a girlfriend!"

Kyle glanced over at Cartman to see what he thought of the idea. Cartman looked a bit spaced out, slurping his drink nonchalantly. He returned Kyle’s glance for a moment, then turning his head away to stare out the window.

"Uh,  _Bebe_ , I don’t know if Kyle would want a  _girlfriend_.” Kenny emphasized to Bebe. Bebe blinked a few times before getting this enlightened expression on her face.

"Oh yeah, you probably shouldn’t date any of them just yet. Ya know… gotta give it some time." Bebe corrected herself, giggling gingerly.

Kyle crossed his arms, slumping back in his seat a little. He’d just then been reminded that these two wanted to include him in a threesome. Kenny probably said that in order to keep Kyle single so there would be more chance of him saying yes. How annoying…

"Y’know, Cartman could probably use that matchmaking skill you girls have," Stan offered. Cartman flinched a bit upon hearing this. "You guys could find him someone for the dance."

Kyle sighed worriedly. Both of the boys knew Stan was probably trying to make Cartman feel better about his recent ‘break up,’ but this was a bit counter productive either way.

"Like I’d want to waste my money to go to some shitty Homecoming dance anyway." Cartman scoffed, slurping more of his drink.

"Shitty?!" Wendy repeated angrily. "I’ll have you know we work damn hard on the homecoming dance!"

Cartman’s responding laughter sounded a bit bitter. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll get a nice ‘You tried’ sticker for it.”

Wendy slapped her hands onto the top of the table angrily, glowering at Cartman. “You’re just saying that to try to detract from the fact that you could never get a date with anyone!”

The harshness of Wendy’s words made Kyle tense up very visibly. Cartman didn’t even seem to flinch.

"Fuck off, you bitch." Cartman replied in an irritated manner.

"Yeah, that’s what I thought," Wendy spat as she continued to scowl at Cartman. "You know it’s true so you can’t even argue—"

Wendy was suddenly cut off by a bowl full of gravy and half-eaten chicken strips smacking onto her face and drenching her hair. Kenny, Bebe, Stan and Kyle all made a small gasp of alarm when they realized Cartman had chucked his food at Wendy. Cartman had already stood up and started walking away. Once she shook herself out of surprise, Wendy jolted out of her seat shouting.

"This is exactly what I’m talking about, Cartman! You’re a fucking asshole!!"

Stan tried to calm her down by holding her by the shoulders.

"Suck my balls!" Cartman retorted, flashing his middle finger, not once turning around or stopping as he exited the restaurant.  
  
~

The wind outside whistled in Cartman’s ears. He stomped his way down the street, angrily scraping his heels against the pavement of the sidewalk. How embarrassing. Wendy caught him in the headlights. No one ever had the nerve to say that to him before. He hadn’t really thought of a retort for it. Cartman thought he had an answer to anything anyone said. But he wasn’t expecting something like that.

And now here he was, walking home in the stinging cold. He knew he couldn’t ask Stan for a ride now; not after he threw food at his bitch’s face. Though it wasn’t like he regretted throwing food in Wendy’s face. It felt very satisfying.

Cartman stopped and let out a sigh, watching his chilly breath puff in front of him. It was a long way home from KFC, and it was cold as fuck.   
Maybe he could hitch-hike.

"Cartman!!" A voice shouted from behind him. The brunette turned to see his smaller friend Kyle running up to him. Cartman sighed. He thought about just walking away. But it was Kyle… something told him he had to stay.

"What is it, Jew?" Cartman asked when Kyle caught up to him.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"I’m going home. I think looking at Wendy’s ugly fuckin’ face for too long made me lose my appetite."

"You can’t walk home, Cartman. It’s too far." Kyle reminded him, as if Cartman needed to be reminded.

"I’ll take the bus." Cartman replied.

"Dude, just come back. You don’t have to take the bus, we have a car." Kyle pleaded, using a tender tone of voice.

"Nope, I’m taking the bus." Cartman replied immediately. He wasn’t about to go back to face that group after the little stunt he pulled. And not after Wendy had quite obviously struck a chord with him. It was all just too embarrassing. Just as he started to turn away, Kyle latched both his arms onto Cartman’s one arm.

Cartman stopped dead in his tracks. It’s not like Kyle had pulled him back or anything, or was even holding him down firmly. Kyle’s gesture just took Cartman by surprise.

Cartman turned to face Kyle with a confused look on his face. He then stared down at Kyle’s hands clinging to his arm. Kyle glanced down as well, then pulling his hands away.

Kyle felt a bit embarrassed about instantaneously grabbing Cartman this way. But to be perfectly honest he was happy it stopped Cartman. The thought of Cartman walking home alone after storming out like that was kind of sad. Cartman was alone enough.

"… Look, you don’t have to apologize to Wendy or anything. I’m sure Stan sympathizes with you enough to take you home. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut." Kyle offered. He forced his gaze to stay on Cartman despite still being somewhat embarrassed from reaching out to him the way he did.

Cartman’s stare was still a bit scrutinizing towards Kyle. “Y’know, just because I’m banging you doesn’t mean you have to act like you care about me.” He remarked brazenly.

"It’s not an act. And I’m not doing it as a favor." Kyle huffed, rolling his eyes. He tugged on Cartman’s sleeve, turning back towards the direction of the restaurant. "Come on, let’s get back to the others."

Cartman sighed, deciding against resisting. It was odd that Kyle was showing concern toward him after he acted like an ass in front of all their friends. He’d fully expected everyone to leave him to his own devices. But in a way, he was sort of happy that Kyle insisted on bringing him back. Even if Kyle was acting a little whipped.

~~

The ride back into the neighborhood was mostly silent. Wendy had cleaned the food off of her face and wouldn’t look at anyone directly. Cartman was the same way, just staring out the window of the backseat. Once Stan dropped the girls off at Bebe’s house the air became a lot less tense. Kyle was even able to hold a conversation with Stan, having a back and forth about how they really felt about the movie. They practically tore the movie apart with their criticism. Cartman even chipped in his two cents about how inconsistent the male character was. At that point the tense air had dissolved completely.

The four ended up playing video games at Kyle’s house for the rest of their Sunday. The night was pleasantly uneventful.

Cartman’s thoughts were still distracted with Wendy’s words and the way Kyle acted towards him, but he did his best to not show it to anyone else. At least he could get away with seeming a bit mopey, considering the fake break up he lied about to Stan. Kyle knew this was a lie, but knowing Kyle he wouldn’t bother bringing up how odd Cartman was acting at times.

Even though it seemed like Kyle was caring about Cartman more and more.

Monday, 12:00 pm.

Another school day… It would now be a full day that had gone by without the two boys doing anything to each other. It wasn’t too bad. Cartman seemed to be a lot more at ease today. Whenever he caught glances from Kyle, he’d smile to himself a bit. The four boys were sitting together at lunch today, talking amongst themselves. Kenny had started going off about how great Bebe’s boobs are, something like that.

Kyle became bored with the subject rather quickly. His eyes gravitated to the brunette next to him. He began to wonder to himself if he could get away with copping a feel the way Cartman always did to him. He considered it, but he also wondered if Cartman would be able to ‘ignore’ it the way Kyle did. On top of that, he was supposed to be the one that was being careful. Kyle decided to resist his urges.

He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Upon turning his head he found Wendy standing next to him. She looked somewhat concerned.

"Kyle, can I talk to you?" She whispered softly. Kyle blinked in confusion at the black-haired girl. His friends had glanced up at Wendy in mild curiosity. Kyle wondered what she wanted; she seemed to want to talk to him alone, so he complied.

Wendy brought him to the entrance of the bathrooms. There was a short wall in front of the doorway which led to the bathroom door — they hid behind the wall.

"We need to talk about Cartman." Wendy started. Kyle frowned. He was hoping that she wasn’t asking Kyle to get Cartman to apologize to her; what she said was pretty out of line.

"In the theater…" She paused, sounding a bit tenderly concerned. "I saw him touching you."

In that instant the color drained from Kyle’s face. She saw that? In the darkness of the theater? Oh god, stupid Cartman! He should have known better, Wendy was sitting  **right**  next to Kyle!

"I knew something was up… you always looked anxious next to Cartman. Kyle, if you need protection from that scumbag you can count on me. I’ll rally up some people to keep him away from you." Wendy spoke firmly, placing a hand on Kyle’s shoulder. Kyle’s mouth dropped open as she said this.

"Wait, what?"

"It’s okay Kyle. You can tell me anything, I won’t judge you. Did he ever force himself on you?"

Kyle’s eyes went so wide he though they were gonna fall out of his head.

"You know, like…"

"No!!" Kyle shouted. "God, no! Wendy, you’ve got it all wrong!!"

Wendy stared at him blankly for a few moments, no doubt surprised by his outburst. “..But, he was… rubbing your thigh… what else could that be?”

Kyle pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He was still a little rattled over the fact that Wendy had seen them, even if she’d just seen Cartman doing something to him. He wasn’t about to let her think it was all Cartman, even if that meant telling someone he was gay.

"Well… you don’t have it  _all_  wrong but.. it’s… it’s consensual.” Kyle managed to say, looking away from the girl.

Wendy stared incredulously at Kyle. “Kyle, what do you mean?”

Kyle found himself wincing now. He wasn’t looking forward to Wendy’s reaction when he spelled it out for her. “… Cartman and I have been uh… fooling around for a week now. It started last Saturday. We’ve been sneaking around so nobody catches us doing it.”

"…Kyle, is he blackmailing you again?" Wendy asked.

"Ugh, no! Wendy, he’s not doing anything wrong! I like it!" Kyle insisted. He was glad that nobody was around to hear them here.

"Why? It’s Cartman, Kyle! What could you possibly see in Cartman?! That fat asshole has no redeeming qualities whatsoever!" Wendy protested with traces of venom in her voice.

Kyle felt his temper flare up at her words. He balled his hands into fists, trying to not let it get to him. He had to remain reasonable. He had to convince her.

"You don’t understand, Wendy.." Kyle sighed, hoping to somehow exhale all the anger from his voice. As he went on, his voice returned to a calmer tone. "I was raised to grow up a certain way. I lived by certain, strict rules. Being straight was one of those rules. And it just so happens that I’m not straight."

Wendy’s expression remained scrutinizing, but Kyle went on anyway.

"Try to imagine what it would be like… to figure out that you like something.. that you really enjoy it. And right when you find that out, you feel horrible. Scared, because you know you’re not supposed to like it. Knowing that you might find someone one day that has the chance to truly make you happy, but it doesn’t matter, because your parents would disown you if they ever knew."

Kyle stopped to clear his throat, doing his best to prevent his voice from trembling. He hadn’t really had the chance to put how he felt into words before and it was proving to be a bit difficult.

"I’ve done everything in my power to repress it, but I can’t. It’s part of me. And I started feeling ashamed of myself because I wasn’t raised to be this way. Ever since I found out I’ve just felt trapped. But…"

Kyle smiled to himself. “But it’s not like that with Cartman. When I’m alone with Cartman he makes me feel like it’s okay. I can be myself without being ashamed of what I like. He gives me this sense of freedom that I’ve never been able to feel before. Cartman might be an asshole… but he makes me happy. What we have is awesome and I don’t ever want to lose it.”

Kyle’s cheeks warmed a bit just thinking about how happy he felt about Cartman. He felt like a total dork talking about him that way, but he was just being honest. It felt kind of good to get that off his chest, at least to someone.

"… Kyle, I’m happy for you but…" Wendy stammered, still lost in astonishment. "I mean, it’s great that you feel that way, but… it kind of sounds like you’re mistaking lust for love."

Kyle’s smile dropped at this. “What?”

"You’re just fooling around with him, right? It’s just lust, Kyle. Don’t give Cartman credit for what he’s not actually doing for you. You don’t actually love him and he doesn’t actually love you." Wendy explained.

”..I-I know that!” Kyle stammered a bit defensively. “Trust me Wendy, I know what we’re doing is only physical. But that doesn’t make it any less awesome.”

Wendy sighed. “Look Kyle, I just don’t want to see you get hurt. I want to make sure that you know the difference.” She placed her hand on his shoulder again, giving him a soft pat. “And don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

With that Wendy took her leave, making her way back to her usual group of girls. Kyle stood there lost in his thoughts. He couldn’t help but feel a bit angered at the way Wendy had to point out that he and Cartman didn’t have anything special. It was ‘just lust.’

Kyle frowned. It’s almost as if she was saying what she had with Stan was better than what he and Cartman had. That pissed him off to no end. But it was true, right..? Their relationship was nothing more than lust… At that point it seemed like his anger was just building and building in an endless cycle. …Maybe he could walk it off.

He was starting to wonder if he should even head back to the group. Maybe he needed to let off some steam somewhere before he talked to any of the guys. Just then, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"There you are, Kyle! What are you doing back here?"   
It was Kenny. The blonde’s bright smile made Kyle ease a little bit, but he was still apprehensive.

"Oh uh.. Wendy wanted to talk to me about something." He replied.

"Huh. Well, I just wanted to ask if you were still up for that whole threesome thing." Kenny remarked as casually as he could. "I thought I should tell you what Bebe mentioned this morning and see if it was ok with you."

Oh god, the threesome thing again… But.. “What is it?” Kyle asked, curious as to what Bebe said.

"Well she wants us to make out and kinda touch each other." Kenny answered.

Kyle’s expression went blank.

"I know it sounds kinda silly but that’s what she likes. Honestly, it’s not that bad. Kissing a guy really isn’t all that different from kissing a girl." Kenny laughed, hoping he wasn’t making Kyle too uncomfortable.

"It’s not?" Kyle blurted out. In his experience it had been much different. When he kissed Cartman he felt so much more than what he’d felt with any girl he kissed. But maybe that was just…

.. If he kissed Kenny, would he feel the same way he did with Cartman?

"Well, it feels the same to me." Kenny admitted. "If you want, we could try it out and then you can decide whether or not you wanna go through with it."

"Try it out? Like.. kiss?" Kyle asked. It was pretty obvious, but Kyle still found himself in disbelief. He was admittedly a bit curious. Kenny was still a guy. If his and Cartman’s relationship was just lust then it wouldn’t matter if he kissed someone else. … Right?

"Yeah. Wanna try it?" Kenny asked again, leaning in close to Kyle. Kyle’s heart began to pound.

It didn’t mean anything. It would feel the same as when he kissed Cartman. These kisses didn’t mean a thing.

Hesitantly, Kyle leaned into Kenny, their lips pressing against each other. Kenny placed his hands on Kyle’s shoulders, kissing him back tenderly.

At first, Kyle felt nothing. Which already didn’t feel the way he did when he kissed Cartman. The excitement, the happiness that came with it.. it wasn’t there. It felt hollow. Like it wasn’t even a kiss. Their lips were just touching. When Kenny broke off the kiss he looked expectantly at Kyle.

As the feeling of the kiss set in, Kyle’s stomach suddenly started knotting up inside. He could feel nausea brewing inside of him. The kiss wasn’t bad… but it made him feel absolutely sick to his stomach.

”.. You okay?” Kenny asked softly.

Kyle shook his head. “I.. I don’t think so. I feel sick…”

Kenny sighed. “Well alright. You don’t have to go through with it, Kyle. No hard feelings, right?”

"N-no, of course not." Kyle said, staggering out of the doorway and back into the cafeteria. He didn’t just feel sick now, he felt fucking awful. Like his head was about to start spinning. He knew Kenny was trailing behind him, and he didn’t want to freak him out so he avoided picking up his pace. He had no intention of telling the other guys about that kiss.

Kyle’s sight tunnel visioned towards his destination as he made his way through the bunches of people moving through the cafeteria. He could feel a lingering sense of dread within him. He sat back down next to Cartman, Kenny walking over to sit next to Stan.

Sitting down seemed to make the feeling of lightheadedness vanish. That and the fact that he was sitting next to Cartman again was comforting in a way.

Things seemed to become more clear now. Why what Wendy said got to him so much. Why that kiss felt so wrong. Why being around Cartman made him feel better. It was obvious, wasn’t it? He’d gotten attached to Cartman… Kyle’s heart began to pound.

He actually liked Cartman. But.. their relationship was strictly lust, wasn’t it? He wasn’t supposed to like him.

Kyle realized that he was beginning to feel afraid. Afraid of Cartman not feeling the same way… afraid of getting his feelings hurt… But worst of all, that feeling of freedom that he loved so much when he was with Cartman.. he was afraid if he made things complicated, that freedom would disappear.

"So what’d the she-hippie want?"

Kyle flinched at the sound of Cartman’s voice. As he brought his eyes to the brunette, he realized that Cartman was looking right at him.

Oh. He was asking Kyle a question, wasn’t he?

”.. Uh.. she was talking about the…” Kyle could feel his face getting red. Shit, why was his face getting red? He’d looked directly at Cartman plenty of times before, why was it so different now? “.. she was talking about the.. the.. the girls… The list.. of girls.. that wanted to date me..”

Oh perfect. Kyle couldn’t even speak right now.

Even much more to his horror, Kenny, Cartman and Stan were all staring at him now.

"Uh, You okay dude?" Stan asked.

Kyle started to nod, but then paused and shook his head. “I think I have a fever.” He replied quickly.

This was awful. Kenny probably thought Kyle was embarrassed about kissing him, and Cartman… Kyle didn’t even want to try to figure out what Cartman was thinking. Cartman had of course forced a neutral expression on his face, probably to not let anyone know that he understood that Kyle was blushing because of him.

"Um, gonna go to-the-nurse" Kyle’s words ran together as he jolted out of his seat. Even as he walked away, he could feel Cartman’s eyes on him. Kyle prayed that he would calm down. If he kept blushing and stammering the way he was, he was gonna run the risk of ruining what he had with Cartman.

He had to clear his head. He had to make things right.

~

Monday, 7:30 pm

Cartman lied awake in his bed continuing to stare at his phone. Still nothing from Kyle. He’d gotten a few texts that day that made his heart jump, but they all turned out to be false alarms. Texts from Butters. He didn’t care what they were about. He didn’t bother to read them when he saw they were from Butters. He just wanted to hear from Kyle again.  
Kyle had been acting odd ever since Wendy talked to him. He went home early after his nurse visit and Cartman hadn’t heard from him since. Cartman thought about confronting Kyle about it but he kept telling himself to stay out of it. The problem might sort itself out on its own. After all, Cartman hadn’t done anything wrong. So he shouldn’t have to worry about it.

Yet here he was, doing absolutely nothing but thinking about it. God, this sucked.

Cartman was suddenly met with the sound of a loud clack against his window. It sounded like something small slammed against it.

"What the…" He said aloud, getting up out of his bed and looking out the window. Out in his backyard was a boy staring up at Cartman’s window. Cartman felt his heart skip a beat when he recognized that it was Kyle. He wasn’t wearing his hat for some reason, and had been throwing pebbles at his window. He pulled his window open.

"Kahl, what are you doing?" Cartman asked in a sort of loud whisper.

"Can I come in? Where’s your ladder?" Kyle asked in response.

Cartman raised an eyebrow at Kyle before forming an amused smile on his face. “Against the fence behind the shed.”

He watched Kyle quickly scamper behind the shed and pull the ladder up against the house. It was kind of strange that Kyle went from a stammering mess to eagerly sneaking into Cartman’s room, but Cartman decided against thinking about it too hard. It was probably nothing anyway.

Kyle could feel his heart rate pick up a little bit as he finally stepped into Cartman’s room. It felt a little odd to be the one sneaking through Cartman’s window. It was usually Cartman sneaking into his room. But this was important. He absolutely needed to be alone with Cartman again.

"We won’t be able to do much, Kahl. My mom has company over so we can’t be loud." Cartman pointed out. He sat on his bed watching for the redhead’s reaction. Kyle walked over and sat next to Cartman. His anxious look was still on his face.

"That’s fine." Kyle said simply, leaning into Cartman and kissing him softly. Cartman paused for a moment before moving his lips against Kyle’s, closing his eyes and softly returning the kiss.

Kyle was infinitely pleased when he was filled with a warm feeling upon kissing Cartman. It was still there. He still felt really happy inside whenever they shared these moments…

Now if only he could get rid of this scared feeling inside him. With a bit of reluctance Kyle parted from Cartman’s lips. When he looked Cartman in the eye his heart began to beat faster again.

This was so weird. They’d had sex 3 times now. What was there to be shy about?

No, Kyle knew why. It was the anticipation of what he was going to ask. He had to know if Cartman liked him back. He didn’t want to ruin what they had, but he didn’t want to be in a one-sided potential love either… He had to ask him. Even if it meant he’d risk losing Cartman over it.

These fears weren’t going to torment Kyle anymore.

"Um, Cartman…" Kyle murmured quietly. He stared down at his knees, clenching his own hands anxiously.

"Yeah?"

Cartman’s recognition made Kyle shiver. He had to think of something to say. Something that didn’t beat around the bush… something quick and painless. But… if it was quick and painless it wouldn’t be thorough. Kyle wanted everything to be perfectly clear. But still, what could he say? Knowing Cartman he could just laugh in Kyle’s face if he didn’t return his feelings.

"Um…"

Kyle was feeling sick again. He pulled his knees to his chest. Cartman looked appropriately confused now. He stared at Kyle expectantly.

"I.. I want…" Kyle pressed his face into his knees in embarrassment and fear. He just had to get it out… "…I want to be your boyfriend."

The air was now teeming with dead silence. Kyle wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words. He was more focused on what Cartman’s reaction would be to such a statement. He forced himself to peek his eyes out from his knees now. He took in Cartman’s expression; it was unreadable. He couldn’t tell if that was bad or not.

"…You want to be my boyfriend?" Cartman repeated in deadpan. Kyle felt his insides clench. He figured he’d have to say more. It wasn’t going to be quick and painless. He took a deep breath, trying to brace himself for anything.

"I still can’t tell anyone about it, but I do like you." Kyle explained. His words were flowing a little more easily now. "I used to think it was just lust but… I feel so happy whenever you give me attention, even if it’s just a kiss."

Cartman’s expression became a bit apprehensive now. His eyes were glued to Kyle; trying to figure out if he was being serious or not. He’d never expected to hear anything like that from Kyle’s mouth.

”..You’re… not fucking with me, are you?” He asked slowly.

Kyle immediately shook his head. This modest response gave Kyle a bit more confidence. It seemed that Cartman wasn’t completely against the idea. That was a very good sign… He made an effort to look Cartman in the eye this time, determined to prove his sincerity. “I want to be with you, Cartman. Let’s give it a try.”

Cartman stood there frozen for a moment or two, letting Kyle’s words sink in. Once he recovered from the initial shock a timid smile formed on his face. He wrapped his arms around Kyle and pulled him close. “Sounds good…” He replied before pressing his lips against Kyle’s.  
Kyle could feel his heart soar in the moment he registered Cartman’s response as a positive one. He latched his arms around the larger boy’s back and kissed him with passion. It seemed to be a mutual understanding to keep the kiss chaste, but it was such a fulfilling kiss nonetheless. The emotion behind the kiss made it so much better than any of the other kisses they’d had together before.

Kyle broke off the kiss and buried his face into Cartman’s chest, hugging him tightly and smiling to himself. Cartman happily returned the embrace, nuzzling against Kyle’s soft red hair.

With his head pressed against Cartman’s chest Kyle could very clearly feel Cartman’s heart pounding. Kyle supposed that meant Cartman was just as happy as Kyle was with this agreement. It made him wonder why he’d ever been afraid.

On top of the relief washing over him, Kyle found that Cartman’s chubbiness made hugs very pleasant. It was a shame he hadn’t been comfortable enough to do it before — now he felt like he could just stay in Cartman’s arms and cuddle with him forever.

"So we’re boyfriends now, huh?" Cartman hummed thoughtfully. Kyle looked up at his new boyfriend and smiled.

"Yeah."

"Do we get any new privileges with that?" Cartman joked. Kyle laughed softly, snuggling against Cartman’s chest again.

"I guess it means we can cuddle now. And we can spoon after sex." Kyle answered.

”..Huh… We kind of did this relationship thing backwards. We’ve already fucked for the first time, and now a week later we decide to be boyfriends.” Cartman pointed out as he ran his fingers through Kyle’s hair.

"Yeah… Oh well." Kyle shrugged. "We don’t have to be all conventional about it."

"Yeah screw that." Cartman agreed. Kyle sighed happily when Cartman rubbed his hand soothingly against his back. This was such a great feeling. 

Kyle was so glad that Cartman felt the same way about him. It validated all the feelings Cartman had been giving him. Wendy was wrong… it wasn’t just lust.

…Oh yeah.. Wendy knew about them.

"Um, Cartman… I think we might have to tell Stan about this." Kyle said looking upward.

"What? Why?" Cartman looked pretty confused and somewhat nervous.

"Because Wendy knows." Kyle replied, sitting up a bit now. His hands rested on Cartman’s shoulders. "She told me she’d keep it a secret but I don’t entirely trust her not to tell Stan at some point. I’d rather tell Stan myself than have him find out about it through Wendy."

"Wha… How does Wendy know?" Cartman asked sounding just a little panicked.

"How do you think? She caught you touching me in the theater." Kyle deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at Cartman.

"Oh god dammit."

"What did I tell you? If we’re not safe about it we’re gonna get caught. We put all that thought into it the other times but you just had to ‘live a little’ and cop a feel in public." Kyle scolded. Cartman rolled his eyes.

"It’s not my fault she was watching us. The theater was all dark and the movie was loud. The only way she would have noticed is if she was looking for it." Cartman argued.

"Either way, she knows now. So we have to tell Stan before she does." Kyle repeated.

"You’re fine with just telling people now?" Cartman asked looking at Kyle questioningly.

"Not really. But if we don’t tell Stan the truth Wendy might give him the wrong idea and things might really get ugly. It’s better if we have control over the outcome." Kyle explained.

"That’s true. That she-hippie’s gonna run her big mouth sooner or later." Cartman grumbled in irritation. He was beginning to hate Wendy more than usual these days.

"So we tell him tomorrow." Kyle decided.

"Ugh.. great. He’s gonna be pissed."

"It’ll be fine." Kyle sighed softly as he caressed Cartman’s shoulders. "Stan’s cool about everything. He’ll understand."

Cartman didn’t seem as convinced, but he smiled anyway, brushing his lips against Kyle’s. His worries could wait for tomorrow. He was still so happy that Kyle had returned his feelings.

All this time, he’d been wrong. He  _had_  been given a chance. 

 


	7. Trust

"You really like this cuddling thing, huh?" Cartman hummed as he smiled down at the boy in his arms.

"You have a problem with that?" Kyle queried teasingly.

Cartman shook his head. “Never thought you’d be the type.” He chuckled lightly threading a few fingers through Kyle’s curly red hair. As he did he took the moment to notice for the second time that Kyle had left his favorite hat at home. He’d done the same thing when they first had sex in Cartman’s room. “Where’s your dumb hat, Kahl?”

"At home," Kyle replied, "Because for some reason you seem to like my hair a lot." He quirked an eyebrow at Cartman playfully. Kyle taken off his beloved hat just so Cartman could see his beautiful red hair. Cartman couldn’t help but smile in appreciation.

"Your hair’s my favorite color." Cartman remarked, leaning in and placing light kisses at the edges of Kyle’s mouth. Kyle smiled, pulling Cartman’s lips to his and pressing them softly together. The soft gentle kisses seemed to be the most magical. Cartman leaned back onto the bed, pulling Kyle on top of himself and continuing the kiss as they lied down on his bed.

Both boys remained overjoyed with their new agreement. They were boyfriends now. Kyle’s fear of over complicating things seemed so silly in the midst of all this happiness. Now that he confessed and Cartman had felt the same, things had never seemed so clear.

Despite their kissing getting slowly more sensual, Kyle acknowledged the noise downstairs and knew they couldn’t go further. Liane had company over alright; from the sound of it the 3 or 4 of them were going to get intimate pretty soon. Liane’s drunk voice could be heard through the walls, and Kyle wasn’t keen on the idea of trying to have sex while Cartman’s Mom was moaning downstairs.

Kyle’s lips parted from Cartman’s, looking mildly frustrated when Liane’s voice echoed louder through the house. Cartman sighed.

"So when should we tell Stan?" Cartman asked in an attempt to bring Kyle’s attention away from his whore of a mother. Kyle’s eyes wandered in thought.

"After school tomorrow. I’ll tell him to meet up at Stark’s Pond. We probably won’t have enough time to sort things out properly if we try to do it between periods in school." Kyle answered.

"You don’t think he’ll find it weird that we’re not inviting Kenny?" Cartman asked as more of a rhetorical question.

Well, he had been thinking about telling Kenny he was gay in the past but that only out of necessity. Kyle remained silent in thought for a moment or two. “We can tell Kenny too. I don’t think he has a problem with keeping secrets.” Kyle decided.

The two boys settled out their plans for as long as they could. Eventually the sound of Liane and her partners became too much, and Kyle decided to go back out the window.

As he placed Cartman’s ladder back behind the shed he smiled to himself. It was so fitting that being in a relationship with Eric Cartman included plotting of some kind. When it wasn’t something despicable, Kyle admitted that it was actually pretty neat to plot with Cartman. Cartman didn’t care about things like school subjects but he was suddenly so attentive when it came to thinking up schemes. Whenever he’d explain his plans to someone, he’d beam with confidence. It was something Kyle had always noticed, but he especially appreciated it now that he was plotting with him. The confidence seemed to be rubbing off on Kyle these days.

It would come in handy for tomorrow.

**Tuesday, 4:30 pm**

English class was the last period of the day, and perfect because Kyle had both Stan and Kenny in it. He still hadn’t said a word about hanging out at Stark’s Pond for fear of seeming too eager. If he told them early in the day that would imply some sort of urgency. Both him and Cartman decided that they wanted the idea to seem last minute.

As the period went on Kyle got a bit frustrated — the teacher had informed him that they’d be having a test tomorrow. That was the 3rd test he’d be having this week. He’d have to go right home and study once he got home from Stark’s Pond, provided everything would go well.   
Once the teacher had finished his lecture he left the kids to speak amongst themselves. This was Kyle’s opportunity. 

"A test on this story?" Stan groaned as he listlessly flipped through the worksheets that were handed out. "How does he expect us to stay awake during the test when I’m falling asleep reading the book itself?"

"You really think it’s that bad?" Kyle queried curiously. He thought to himself about how he could weave his suggestion to hang out at the Stark’s Pond into the conversation.

"It’s supposed to be about murder. So where are the juicy parts?" Stan scoffed. "As if I want to read about this pretentious asshole bitch and moan to his friend about his problems with his Uncle."

"It’s character development." Kyle offers. "You’re supposed to get invested in the characters before anyone can start dying."   
Stan rolled his eyes. “Here we can see that Hamlet is mad. Good character development.”

"You seem kinda stressed." Kyle remarked resting his forearms on his desk and leaning forward to look at Stan.

"Yeah. Wendy’s been on my ass about Cartman." Stan admitted.  
The mention of Wendy and Cartman in the same sentence made Kyle’s stomach lurch unpleasantly. “What about?” Kyle asked, trying to not sound nervous.

"You know. About him being an asshole. The usual. She didn’t like that I drove him home either." Stan replied, raising an eyebrow at Kyle for asking an odd question. It’d only been 2 days since Cartman threw food in Wendy’s face and stormed out.

"Oh yeah." Kyle had nearly forgotten about that. He’d been so caught up in the idea of the new—.. well, official relationship he had with Cartman. But he was quite relieved to hear that Wendy hadn’t broke the news to Stan on her own accord. "It’s kinda messed up that she wanted you to leave him there though. He would’ve had to walk 9 miles to get home."

"He ran off, remember? if you hadn’t brought him back he woulda been doing that on his own." Kenny chipped in casually. Kyle looked away apprehensively at this comment.

"Well, anyway.. if you guys are stressed out, why don’t we go hang out at Stark’s Pond?" Kyle offered. He hoped he didn’t sound too awkward jamming this offer into their conversation all of a sudden. But the way the talk was going, he didn’t seem like he’d get much chance otherwise.

"Oh wow, when was the last time we even went there?" Stan thought aloud. Kyle smiled. Good, Stan seemed interested in this idea.

"I think we were like nine," Kenny hummed thoughtfully.

"So you guys wanna? We can just chill out at the pond or fish or something. Just the four of us, like old times." Kyle coaxed. He felt kind of bad luring them in with promises of good times when really they were probably all going to have a stressful time with what Kyle was going to say to them. He kept his smile up, hoping it didn’t falter.

"Four? Is Butters not coming?" Kenny asked.

Kyle’s smile then faded. He’d forgotten about Butters since he only just came back from a trip with his parents. He had been hanging out with them more and more throughout the years so naturally he would be invited. “N.. Nah. I want it to just be us four.” Kyle got nervous when he received questioning glances from Stan and Kenny. “He’s probably grounded anyway,” Kyle hastily added.

"Hmm, probably." Stan agreed. A small wave of relief washed over Kyle. He couldn’t invite Butters to tell the secret to. Butters couldn’t keep a secret to save his life; everyone knew that. He couldn’t feel too relieved, however.

Soon the secret that Kyle held onto for so long would be out in the open, along with the news of his relationship with Cartman.

**5:15 pm**

It was a bit of a surprise to the boys that the pond had remained untouched over the years. South Park had received some renovation every now and then and some of the forests the boys used to play in as children had slowly been replaced with neighborhoods or stores.

The boys sat on a log up against the shore of the lake. Cartman sat on the far right, next to Kyle, who sat next to Stan. Kenny was on the other side of Stan. They had reminisced for a bit over their childhood and the events that happened around this pond.

"Then there was that time where Cartman tried to kill us all with a wiffle-ball bat." Stan snickered. Kenny joined in laughing as he cast a line into the pond.

"Heh, that was a little joke." Cartman said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Was it?" Kyle queried skeptically, taking a sip of pepsi.

"Yeah, I mean.. trying to kill people with a wiffle ball bat’s pretty stupid." Cartman answered in a half mumble.

"Yeah, it was pretty stupid." Kyle chided, prodding at Cartman’s shoulder. Cartman rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I caught one!" Kenny cheered.

"Good thing the water isn’t freezing yet." Stan remarked. Kyle began to shift nervously. He saw Cartman give him a brief glance, probably wondering when he was going to break the news to the boys. Kyle considered expecting the worst but the mere idea of them taking it badly made him nervous. No matter how they reacted it would probably be better to tell them himself. It was preferable over the idea of Wendy telling Stan and Stan getting the wrong idea.

A confession yesterday to Cartman and now he was coming out to Stan and Kenny. This was definitely not good for Kyle’s heart.

"Man you were right Kyle, it’s so refreshing out here. It’s just like those rare quiet days we used to have when we were little." Stan smiled.

"Yeah.. well, I gotta tell you something, Stan." Kyle murmured, just loud enough for Stan to hear him. Stan turned his attention to Kyle, putting down his drink and turning his head a bit toward Kyle.

"What’s up dude?" Stan prompted with concern in his voice.  
Kyle took a deep breath. Maybe if he didn’t sound so nervous about it they would be less prone to the idea that it’s a problem. Kyle tried giving Stan a confident smile in hopes of lessening the effects. “Cartman and I are dating.”

Silence fell over Stark’s Pond in what seemed like an instant. It was so quiet that if enough time passed the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind would begin to irritate someone. Both Stan and Kenny now looked over at Kyle, staring with an unreadable look on their faces. It seemed they were still in the midst of processing the information.

"What?" Stan gave a short laugh of disbelief through the word. Kyle’s smile lessened a bit as he averted his gaze from his friend. Stan became slightly nervous. "You’re joking, right?"

Kyle gave a quick apprehensive glance to Cartman. Cartman looked off to the side pursing his lips and exhaling through his nose. Kyle had already insisted that Cartman should let him do all the talking. As good of a speaker as Cartman was, this was a special circumstance. No matter what Cartman said it would sound more convincing coming from Kyle. But now Kyle was having second thoughts on the idea of having to explain this to them alone.

"We’ve been going out for about a week now." Kyle explained. As much as he didn’t want it to seem like a bad thing, he couldn’t keep up his smile or he risked seeming insincere. How awful, it felt as if he was trying to tell Stan a relative died or something.

Kenny as usual remained silent, simply observing the situation. Stan stared incredulously, parting his lips and baring his palms as he tried to comprehend the situation. “You…” Stan paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No way. You’re just trying to fuck with me.”

Kyle shook his head, doing his best to give a serious expression without looking nervous. “I’m being completely serious, Stan.”

"Suuure," Stan laughed, "You two are just trying to get us to act all surprised and the minute we believe you Cartman’s gonna jump up and say ‘Ha ha! You fell for it ya stupid assholes!’ " Cartman quirked an eyebrow, undoubtedly a little miffed at Stan’s impression of his voice and accent.

"You seriously don’t believe me?" Kyle gave an agitated sigh.

"There’s no way you’re being serious." Stan answered with an apprehensive smile on his face. It occurred to Kyle that Stan would need some more convincing. He brought his gaze intently to Cartman, then back to Stan.

"I’ll prove it."

Kyle turned to Cartman, cupping his jaw in his palms and swiftly pulling him into a kiss. As much as kissing or doing anything in front of other people freaked him out, Kyle had to make sure that Stan understood that this was mutual. A few moments into the kiss and Kyle’s heart dropped, his body being yanked backwards.

"What the fuck are you doing, Kyle?!" Stan yelled in panic. He had stood up and forcibly pried Kyle away from Cartman in his shock.

"I was trying to show you that I’m being serious!" Kyle pulled away from Stan and gave him an irritated frown.

"Kyle, you can’t be serious! It’s  _Cartman_ , for fuck’s sake!” Stan argued. His voice began to transition from frantic to angry.

"Hey, what the hell’s that supposed to mean?" Cartman piped up despite it being completely obvious what Stan meant. Stan chose to ignore Cartman’s comment, his eyes locked on Kyle.

Kyle furrowed his brow but still managed to form a pleading expression. “Come on, haven’t you noticed anything different lately?” He urged. Cartman and Kyle had acted normal around them, but in the context of a relationship, the few times that Kyle went to cheer up Cartman should make a lot more sense to Stan and Kenny.

Stan shook his head. “No! This past week you’ve still been fighting, so how can you be together?”

Kyle sighed, giving another glance to Cartman’s irritated expression. “It’s complicated.”

"It seems pretty simple to me."

"God dammit Cartman! Let me handle this!" Kyle snapped, shooting a glare at Cartman. Kyle understood that Cartman wanted to ‘help’ him but he was only proving to be distracting. Cartman rolled his eyes and folded his arms. Kyle turned his attention back to Stan, his gaze softening.

"Look, all you need to know is that this is what I want."

The anger left Stan’s eyes as he stared at Kyle. It seemed he was starting to believe him, if even just a little. “Kenny?” Stan prompted, turning to his hooded friend who’d remained silent the entire time.

"I don’t see why they’d lie." Kenny shrugged.

A glimpse of defeat fell over Stan’s face, but he quickly shook it off. “No, this can’t be right. There has to be another—” Stan’s face went blank as he came to a sudden realization. He moved closer to Kyle, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Is he blackmailing you again?”

Kyle’s eyebrows arched in disbelief at Stan’s words, though they shouldn’t have. It actually made perfect sense for Stan to think that with his history with Cartman. Kyle remained speechless for a moment or two, then forced his words out. “Dude, no!”

Stan didn’t seem to buy it. Cartman walked over and placed a hand on Stan’s shoulder, catching Stan’s attention. He hadn’t heard what they whispered but he decided to butt in despite what Kyle said.

"Listen Stan, it’s—"

Stan cut Cartman’s sentence short by turning around and grabbing a fist full of his jacket.

"What did you do to him?!" Stan shouted now holding Cartman by his collar. Kyle jumped back a bit in alarm when Stan so violently turned around. He was still a bit in shock as he now saw Stan up in Cartman’s face intimidatingly.

"What?" Cartman could only manage to say, completely confused as to what Stan meant.

"What are you blackmailing him with this time, fatass?!" Stan growled as he glared holes into Cartman.

"Jesus I’m not blackmailing him!" Cartman insisted with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Don’t lie to me asshole! You’re trying to humiliate him again like you did with that ginger cow shit!"

"Stan, knock it off!" Kyle demanded angrily.

"No! I’m not letting you do this to yourself again!" Stan turned to face Kyle, still clenching Cartman’s collar in his fist. "This scumbag is not going to take advantage of you if I can help it!"

"Seriously, Stan, you’re pissing me off now!" Cartman growled.

"What are you threatening him with?! Tell me already!"

"I’m not fucking threatening him, you stupid asshole!!" Cartman shouted back.

"God dammit, stop!" Kyle pushed himself between his two friends, standing defensively in front of Cartman and holding Stan by the wrist.

"He’s not blackmailing me Stan. Why don’t you believe me?"

"It doesn’t make sense, Kyle. He’s got to be forcing you into this somehow." Stan replied, his voice still harsh and skeptical.

"It’s by my own free will, Stan. You have to believe me." Kyle pleaded.

Stan’s glare on Cartman lessened, looking down thoughtfully. “You seriously like him?” He asked rather calmly.

Kyle furrowed his brow warily at Stan. “Yeah. .. I do.”

"Okay, Kyle," Stan brought his eyes to Kyle’s again. "If you really,  _seriously_  like Cartman, then you should be able to tell me what exactly it is that you like about him.”

Kyle’s expression faltered at this, maybe seeming a little more dread filled than intended. He did like Cartman, but to say what he liked about Cartman, right in front of him? Kyle could feel the heat building on his cheeks.

What could he even say? He wasn’t about to tell his friends that sex with Cartman was great, or that he was a great cuddler. That was way too embarrassing. He hadn’t been boyfriends with Cartman for that long, so what could he say?

Kyle took a deep breath. He’d known Cartman all his life, and he had caught a few things that he’d liked about Cartman. He never had to put them into words, though. This shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. ” I like… his confidence.” Kyle started slowly. “Whenever Cartman decides he’s going to do something he follows through decisively. It’s something I wish I could have, a lot of times.” He tried not to sound timid when he spoke. He kept his eyes on the ground, not wanting to look at anyone.

Kyle took another deep breath, realizing he would have to go on for the sake of seeming genuine. “I like how he can really sweet, but he’s not afraid to be blunt. And I like how we can fight about whatever and we can still be okay. I like how he doesn’t feel like he doesn’t have to fake kindness for the sake of our relationship. And.. and I like how I never feel pressure around him, because he doesn’t expect me to be anything but myself.”

Heat burned to the tips of Kyle’s ears. He stared at the ground, not even wanting to look up to check Stan’s reaction. In the span of only a few minutes he’d revealed that he liked men, that he liked Cartman, and now he had to say why in front of all his friends. He felt like he’d die from embarrassment any second.

A pair of thick arms snaking around his torso brought Kyle back to his senses. He looked over his shoulder to find Cartman smiling brightly at him.

"Well I don’t know about you guys but I’m pretty sold. Kahl’s totally head over heels for me. Aren’t you, Kahl?" Cartman cooed teasingly, snuggling Kyle’s back against his chest. Stan stood completely stunned, finding no way to react except for staring at the two of them. Kyle sighed.

"See, this is exactly why I didn’t want to say it. Now your ego’s all inflated because I said what I liked about you." He complained, squirming away from Cartman’s grasp. Cartman laid his head against Kyle’s shoulder, looking up at him ‘innocently’.

"But Kahl, didn’t you say you loved my ego?"

"I said confidence, not ego." Kyle scoffed. "Confidence means you’re comfortable with yourself. Having an ego means you’re being a dick because you think you’re hot shit."

"…I can’t believe this." Stan finally spoke again. He did look like he was in complete disbelief.

"Wendy found out about it yesterday. She thought Cartman was blackmailing me too. I decided I had to tell you myself, to make sure you didn’t get the wrong idea from her." Kyle explained. He held an apologetic look on his face. It felt so uncomfortably odd to talk about this great relationship he found as if it was terrible news. "I want it to be clear that this was my choice."

Stan stared at Kyle apprehensively still. The way Kyle’s face heated up when he talked about Cartman would be convincing enough for anyone. He couldn’t help but get a bad feeling from the whole idea though.

"So wait…" Kenny suddenly began, "You said you’ve been going out for a week?"

Kyle and Cartman exchanged glances. “Basically.” Kyle answered simply. He decided his friends didn’t need to know the details about how their relationship started off completely sexual.

"So… that girl Ms. Cartman mentioned last Saturday..?"

"There is no girl." Kyle quickly cut in.

"Yeah, my Mom just mistook Kyle’s voice for a girl’s." Cartman snickered. Kyle shot Cartman a glare.

"So the girl was Kyle…" Kenny registered thoughtfully. "So,  _you_  sucked Cartman’s dick?”

"Oh my god!" Stan groaned in disgust. Kyle’s face flushed red. All this blushing couldn’t be good for his body.

"Well not really. He just kinda kissed it a little." Cartman corrected nonchalantly.

"Don’t tell him that, Cartman!" Kyle snapped, his voice sounding a bit frantic. "That’s between you and me!"

"Oh come on, Kyle. It’s just Kenny. He’s used to hearing that stuff."

Cartman shrugged, gesturing to Kenny’s ‘innocently’ curious looking face.

"I don’t care! Besides, do you think Stan wants to hear about it?" Kyle still argued.

"You’re right. Stan, cover your ears."

"Just don’t talk about it!"

Thankfully the tension was starting to go down now. Even though Kyle was still angry at Cartman for running his mouth he felt a lot more at ease now that their relationship was understood. Kenny seemed to believe them completely. Stan reluctantly sat back down in his seat next to Kyle, which was thankfully some sort of admittance to the idea. Kenny continued fishing while quizzing Cartman.

"So who’s on top when you guys do the nasty?" Kenny decided to slip in to the conversation.

"Kenny, come on.." Kyle groaned, covering his face. The fact that Stan wasn’t saying anything made him still feel a bit uncomfortable. Cartman chuckled a bit to himself as he drank a can of soda, going along with what Kyle said and not answering the question.

"I’m just asking the obvious question. If you guys started last Saturday and you were already touching each other’s dicks at that point then you’ve probably had sex by now." Kenny reasoned with an amused smile spread across his face. "Then again, I guess I have my answer. It has to be Kyle who tops. If Cartman was topping he would’ve already crushed Kyle’s hipbones."

"Hey! Fuck off Kenny!" Cartman shouted angrily. Kenny began to laugh to himself, making Cartman seethe even more. "I’ll have you know that I top more than Kyle does!"

"Cartman! What did I just say?!" Kyle warned.

"Whatever! I’m not letting this poor as shit asshole slander me!"

"Well I hope you’re a masochist, Kyle." Kenny mused, smiling slyly at Cartman. Cartman became abruptly silent at the sound of the word. "Before you know it you’re gonna start seeing whips and chains in the bedroom or something." Kenny continued.

"Kenny if you don’t shut up right now I’m gonna kick your ass." Cartman’s voice deadpanned now, contrasting with his previous shouting voice. This caught Kyle’s attention. He figured Kenny was just talking out of his ass, but hadn’t really considered that Cartman might be a sadist.

"Kick my ass? But that might make Kyle jealous." Kenny teased. As Cartman jumped to his feet Kenny reacted by dropping everything and making a run for it. Cartman chased after Kenny shouting obscenities at him. 

Kyle pondered silently to himself. The idea that Cartman may be a sadist hardly surprised him. In fact he probably should have expected that from Cartman, but if that was the case it was kind of curious that Cartman hadn’t really been that rough with him in bed. A tinge of pink came over Kyle’s face when he thought about it for too long.

"Kyle, what the hell made you want to be in a relationship with that?"

Stan asked, gesturing to Cartman who was still trying to catch Kenny.

Kyle sighed. “I already told you what.”

"…But you guys argue so much."

"That doesn’t matter. We don’t take the arguments personally, and it’s a good way to release stress." Kyle dismissed easily. Stan pressed his palm against his own forehead, seeming to have trouble comprehending the situation. Kyle couldn’t blame him. It must have been weird having to deal with Cartman arguing with his best friend one day and then the next his best friend was telling him that they were together.

But now the hard part was over. Now that his friends knew, he wouldn’t have as much to worry about. “You won’t tell anyone at school, right?” Kyle asked. Stan shook his head. Kyle flashed Stan a reassured smile. He trusted that Stan and Kenny wouldn’t have told anyone anyway, but it didn’t hurt to make sure. Cartman eventually stumbled back to the log the boys sat at now completely out of breath.

"Jesus Christ, he runs like a fucking kenyan." Cartman panted. He settled for dropping himself on the ground to take a rest.

"It also helps that he’s a lot lighter than you." Kyle added teasingly.

"Shut up Jew," Cartman managed to huff, still trying to regulate his breathing. Kyle smiled to himself. The fact that the common insults came out so freely even though they were in a relationship made him feel very secure, as odd as that might sound. There was still no pressure between the two of them.

Once Kenny came back from his run the four boys returned to normal conversation, deciding to stay at the pond even after business had been settled. Kyle had insisted on it; after all, he’d brought Stan and Kenny with the promise of having a good time. Stan thought fishing was boring as hell, so Kenny ended up urging him to try it, lending Stan his fishing rod. Cartman cracked a joke about Kenny telling Stan to use his rod, but was quickly shot down when Kenny started making more jokes about him and Kyle. The gay jokes seemed less effective when they’d just come out about being gay. Cartman seemed disappointed with this.

"Hey, Congrats on finally getting laid though." Kenny smiled, sitting next to Cartman and patting his back. Cartman grimaced and rolled his eyes.

"Shut up already."

"No I mean it, I’m proud of you dude." Kenny insisted, though it was obvious he was teasing. A playful grin was still on his face. "You found love… It’s… kind of a beautiful sight." Kenny sniffled exaggeratedly.

"God dammit!" Cartman groaned, crossing his arms and pouting.

"Uh, Kenny, can you come with me for a second?" Kyle suddenly spoke up. Kenny stared blankly at Kyle, then getting up from his seat and following him into the nearby woods. Cartman was left alone with Stan, making things uncomfortably quiet.

Once Kyle felt they were far enough out of earshot from the other boys, he turned to Kenny.

"I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that I don’t want anyone else knowing about me and Cartman." He started.

"Sure thing, man." Kenny nodded.

"Also, about that kiss…" Kyle frowned, looking down at the ground.

Kenny looked at Kyle blankly. “Don’t worry dude, it didn’t mean anything to me either.”

A smile of relief formed on Kyle’s face. “That’s good. I was just confused yesterday. See me and Cartman have been sneaking around for a week but I only made the whole boyfriend thing official yesterday.”

Kenny’s expression signaled that he understood. “Because of that kiss?” Of course, he’d seen the way Kyle reacted shortly after said kiss. He was beaming red when Cartman tried to talk to him. Kyle was glad that Kenny was good at putting things together.

"Yeah… it felt awful, but it ended up making me realize how much I liked Cartman. So I guess I should be thanking you." Kyle said, smiling happily.

Kenny quirked an eyebrow at Kyle. “I still don’t exactly get why you like him, but I guess that’s your business.”

Kyle nodded. “I remember you said that anyone who got close to him would be driven crazy.”

Kenny bristled noticeably. “He uh, seems to be taking it well. I thought he’d push you away like he did to me, but I guess he’s not a kid anymore.”

Kyle paused. “Wait, what do you mean like he did to you?”

A glimpse of mild surprise flickered on Kenny’s face as he realized what he’d just implied. He returned to a neutral expression quickly. “Oh, when we were 8 or so we kind of experimented every now and then. Just a little, with like kissing and petting and stuff. But it never really went anywhere.”

Kyle couldn’t help but gawk now, undoubtedly shaken by the shock of the new information. “When.. you were kids?”

Kenny shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. We’re both pretty perverted, and it’s not like we did anything intimate really. Plus he was being a dick, so it didn’t last that long.”

Kyle took a moment or two to process the information. He couldn’t help but feel a little jealous, but he knew he shouldn’t. Kenny clearly wasn’t attracted to Cartman anymore, and that had been years ago. Still, it did kind of explain why Cartman had been so bold with him if he’d been used to doing stuff like that before. And also…

"Is that why you think he’s a sadist? Because you experienced it..?" Kyle asked hesitantly.

Kenny let out an abrupt laugh. “No, he just told me about it back then. Like I said, we didn’t really do anything that bad.”

"Huh.. so he is a sadist then…" Kyle thought aloud. Kyle considered the idea for a long while. He wasn’t sure if he was a masochist, but he didn’t exactly want to find out. As far as he knew he hated pain. But if it would enhance the experience for Cartman, he wondered if he could take a little bit of pain for his sake.

Kyle grimaced at the thought. Even if Cartman liked being sadistic, he was sure he preferred the sweeter side of Cartman.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" Kenny asked.

"Oh uh," Kyle started, bringing himself out of his thoughts. He sifted through his memory for a second to figure out what it was he wanted to tell Kenny before Kenny threw him off course with that whole ‘we messed around when we were kids’ thing. "Oh yeah. I wanted to ask you to not say anything about the kiss to Cartman, or anyone for that matter."

Kenny laughed. “Yeah no shit. He’d have my head if I told him I kissed his new boyfriend.”

Kyle returned the laugh, although he was still a bit unsettled by the situation.

_____

Cartman sat in silence, idly chewing on a piece of jerky as he waited for the other two boys to return. He could still feel Stan giving him passing glares but he chose to ignore it. He didn’t feel like pissing him off again. Stan wasn’t the type to get physically violent, but when he did he could kick anyone’s ass. It wasn’t so much fear though, it would just be really tedious if he got in a fight with Stan. Kyle would probably nag him to death afterwards.

"So what do you like about Kyle?" Stan asked. He didn’t move his eyes off of the water, pretending to be focused on fishing.

"What are you, his dad now?" Cartman joked. "What’s not to like about him?"

"I want to make sure you’re not trying to fuck him over." Stan replied in a sigh.

"Nope, just trying to fuck him." Cartman said nonchalantly as he bit into his snack. Stan chose this opportunity to turn his head to Cartman and glare.

"You better not just be using him for sex. That’s my best friend you’re talking about." Stan’s voice became threatening. Cartman frowned at Stan.

"Jesus christ Stan, chill out. I like him, okay?" Cartman gave lamely.

Stan forced his expression to soften, but he was still on edge. “If you do anything to hurt him, I swear I’ll make your life a living hell.” He said in the calmest voice he could muster.

Cartman couldn’t help but stare incredulously now.

He knew Stan would be pissed off, but it was actually pretty appalling to him how little Stan trusted him.

**6:00 PM**

With the sun going down now the boys decided to leave Stark’s Pond. Stan and Kenny were splitting off to visit their girlfriends. Stan offered to drive Kyle and Cartman home, but much to Stan’s dismay the two declined. The discomfort Stan felt when they did was clearly visible on his face. The sun was setting and the boys were half-way home now.

"God damn, I’m sure glad to be away from Stan." Cartman voiced in an irritated manner.

"He just needs some time to get used to it. I can’t blame him for being skeptical about you." Kyle admitted. The two kept their voices low as to avoid anyone overhearing them.

"That’s just great. The one time I’m serious about something and everyone thinks I’m trying to pull some shit anyway." Cartman pouted.

"That’s how it goes. The boy who cried wolf."

"Huh?"

"…You haven’t heard that story?" Kyle asked in disbelief.

"What story?" Cartman asked.

"The boy thought it was funny to scare the townsfolk by acting like there was a wolf in town. He did it over and over again, getting people riled up for nothing and pissing them off. Then when a wolf finally did show up, nobody believed the kid and he got eaten by the wolf."

"Haha, what a stupid asshole." Cartman snickered. Kyle rolled his eyes.

"If you keep tricking people over and over, soon they’ll lost all their trust in you." He clarified.

"Oh come on, I was just a kid. Kids lie all the time. Stan should know that." Cartman retorted with a dismissive shrug. Kyle released a small sigh. They both knew Cartman was downplaying his previous actions phenomenally. But it had been a few years since Cartman had done anything that was ginger cow caliber.

In response to Kyle’s silence, Cartman draped his arm around Kyle’s waist and pulled him closer as they continued to walk. Kyle felt his heart skip a beat, then found himself smiling shyly.

"Hey, now that the guys know about us, we’ll have a much easier time sneaking around." Cartman pointed out.

Kyle laughed. “Yeah, now we only have to worry about the rest of the town. Big improvement.”

"Oh don’t be such a downer." Cartman leaned in closer. " C’mon, let’s go to my house. I’ll cheer you right up." He dragged a finger across Kyle’s chest playfully.

That’s right, they hadn’t done it in a while. Kyle started to get that tingling feeling just thinking about it now. He then sighed, remembering his tests.

"Not tonight. I have to study."

Cartman’s expression immediately faltered. “Seriously? But we haven’t done it in forever!”

"It’s only been 3 days. You can wait until tomorrow." Kyle hoped that Cartman wouldn’t press further. He was definitely in the mood for sex too, but he had to prioritize school first.

"But Kaahhlll!" Cartman whined.

"Ugh," Kyle groaned almost instinctively upon hearing Cartman’s annoying whining voice. Thankfully when Cartman did this it was a complete turn off, so he could fend him off easily. "Look, I have a bunch of tests this week so I have to make sure I know everything I’m supposed to. We can do whatever you want tomorrow. In the meantime Cartman, why don’t you give studying a try?"

Cartman pulled back his arm from Kyle’s waist and folded his arms. “Fine,” He pouted. Kyle was a little disheartened at the loss of Cartman’s heat against his body, but decided against giving in in any manner.

"Don’t be a baby."

"I’m not!"   
___

Kyle found it hard to concentrate on his studies in his current state of mind. He’d still been thinking about what Kenny said to him. The idea of Kenny experimenting with Cartman wasn’t too hard to wrap his head around. Even as a kid Kenny was the guy that could tell him whatever he needed to know when it came to dirty things. That was probably how it happened. Cartman probably ended up going to ask Kenny about sexual things and then they started experimenting.

Kyle knew it didn’t matter to Kenny anymore, and it probably didn’t matter to Cartman either, but he still felt like he needed to know how it happened. And for whatever reason, he wanted to know when it started and when it ended.

Admittedly, he wanted to know all about it.

It wasn’t even necessarily that he felt jealous, the two were freakin’ 8 at the time, but the curiosity was killing him.

Before Kyle knew it, he’d just sat there lost in his own thoughts and only got a little bit of work done by the time his curfew hit. His Mom popped in to tell him to go to sleep, and he had to settle for probably winging it on the tests.

Kyle didn’t have trouble getting to sleep however, as all the stress at Stark’s Pond had effectively worn him out. His eyes fluttered shut, and before he knew it he was sleeping like a rock.  
_____

"Psst… Kahl." A voice called from the darkness of Kyle’s room. From his sleep Kyle drifted awake, allowing his vision to come back to him. When he turned his head he found Cartman kneeling at the side of his bed in the dark.

Kyle sat up quickly, shaking himself awake to make sure he wasn’t just seeing things. He wasn’t. Cartman had sneaked into his room again. His initial reaction was anger, but he didn’t want to yell and alert his family.

"Cartman what the hell are you doing?!" Kyle hissed under his breath. The room was dark, but his bed was near the window so Kyle could still make out Cartman’s grin from the moonlight.

"I came to visit you."

Kyle glanced over at his alarm clock. “It’s three in the morning!”

Cartman laughed softly. “Yeah, it’s ‘tomorrow’ now.” Kyle responded with a unimpressed frown.

"You can’t be here. If my parents come up and see you here they’re gonna have both of our heads." Kyle whispered incessantly. His eyebrows arched when Cartman decided to slip under the blankets and crawl into bed with him. "Cartman," Kyle growled, about to go off again but was cut off when a finger pressed to his lips.

"It’s fine. I locked your door before I woke you up." Cartman whispered. "All we have to do is be quiet and we won’t get caught."

Kyle’s eyes wandered in the direction of his door in recognition of what Cartman said. When Kyle brought his gaze back to Cartman the look in his eyes made it plainly obvious that he was definitely considering letting Cartman stay.

Cartman smiled and pulled Kyle into a kiss, pulling their bodies close together. Kyle let his desire take him over, eagerly sliding his hands up Cartman’s torso in a sensual manner as he kissed back. As the kisses became more intense Cartman urged Kyle to press his back against the bed, pinning him down and breaking the kiss.

Cartman moved to place his hips between Kyle’s legs, making sure not to make the bed creak too abruptly with his movement. Kyle could feel himself getting hard with the lower half of his partner’s body pressed against his own. Cartman stroked Kyle’s wrist with one hand, then leaning down to press his lips against the boy’s collarbone.

"How much do you think we can get away with?" Cartman teased in a soft quiet voice. He continued to kiss at Kyle’s collarbone, slowly moving up the neck.

"Mmm.. not much.. you’re making it difficult," Kyle whispered, trying to not voice a moan as he felt Cartman’s tongue slide against his skin.

"Yeah.. you’re loving this aren’t you Kyle.." Cartman murmured huskily in between kisses. "I bet you missed it as much as I did…"

Kyle’s breathing became quick as Cartman worked him up. Cartman could feel Kyle squirm against him in pleasure, his dick becoming rapidly harder. Cartman smiled at Kyle, sliding his own erect cock against Kyle’s. He continued kissing at Kyle’s neck.

"I want you so bad, Kyle…" He whispered sensually, slowly rocking his hips fluidly against Kyle’s. "I want to fuck you so fucking hard.." He sounded like he was right on the verge of moaning.

The sound of Cartman’s words caused Kyle to pant excitedly, doing his best not to become vocal. It was getting increasingly difficult. Cartman sat up and smirked at Kyle, biting down lightly on his own lip. He pressed his pelvis against Kyle’s, easing his motion slowly against him.

Kyle lied his head back against his pillow and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the need to moan. “You’re gonna get us caught like this…” Kyle groaned softly.  

"It’s fine, I can just do this." Cartman placed his hand over Kyle’s mouth to muffle it. "You can moan just a little if you want to," He smirked, sliding his other hand under Kyle’s pajama pants and stroking Kyle’s leaking cock. Kyle moaned softly almost on command, most of the sound being successfully smothered out by Cartman’s hand.

An unexpected gasp of arousal came from Cartman as he held Kyle’s mouth shut. The situation he was in, being in so much control of Kyle’s pleasure, was incredibly arousing to him. Thankfully the noise Cartman made wasn’t too loud. He resumed to rub against Kyle again, this time a little too eagerly. Kyle seemed to love it though, as he moaned even louder against Cartman’s hand. Cartman reactively pressed his palm firmly against Kyle’s mouth.

"Unnh… shit.." Cartman moaned. He didn’t think it would be this hard to hold back moaning, but it was proving to be extremely difficult now.

"Damn.. I guess we can’t…" He sighed, uncovering Kyle’s mouth. Kyle stared confusedly at Cartman, who now climbed off of him.

"What are you talking about?" Kyle asked in frustration that Cartman stopped. "They wouldn’t be able to hear that."

"Well, they’d still hear me if I started moaning." Cartman replied scooting to the edge of the bed. "I can’t help my own moans, Kyle. Not when I’m this excited.."

Kyle groaned and crossed his arms. “Well thanks for working me up.”

"No problem." Cartman replied, ignoring the obvious sarcasm. He gave Kyle a quick peck on the lips, then standing up and starting to head toward the window. "I’m gonna go home and jack off now." He said as he climbed through the window. "See you in a few hours~"

Kyle watched Cartman close the window and leave. He lied back and sighed, deciding to stroke himself as well. The fact that Cartman stopped himself before he’d get them both caught was definitely a good thing, but for him to just abruptly stop like that was so cruel. Kyle was enjoying it so much. It was admittedly thrilling to have Cartman just be in complete control like that, and to just lie back and experience the whole event. The idea of being submissive to him like that wasn’t something he’d want to have all the time obviously… but it was definitely exciting to do sometimes.

Kyle stared at his ceiling, silently wondering what else he might be into that he didn’t know about yet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God damn this was a difficult chapter to write. I proofread for a while, but I’m not sure how much else I could fix the wording.


	8. Harsh

The rest of the week went rather smoothly for the boys. Cartman had been right, sex had been a lot easier to get away with now that their friends knew their secret. Kyle and Cartman didn’t even need to hide in Cartman’s basement to have sex. On Saturday after basketball Stan and Kenny left them alone and they just fucked in the bathroom stall. It was kind of gross and Kyle objected to it more than Cartman did, but in the end having the sex so spontaneously was kind of cool. Cartman had proposed a game; find as many places as they could where they could stay out of sight and have sex there. Kyle was still a little hesitant to take risks. That being said, the rest of the week consisted of sex daily. The two of them had sex twice on Saturday, early in the morning and late at night in Cartman’s living room since Liane had gone out that night.

The two hadn’t deviated from their routines in sex, but one thing Kyle had been constantly miffed about was how disconnected Cartman seemed after Kyle topped. Cartman still physically enjoyed it, but he didn’t seem to care much for it otherwise. Kyle had expressed his displeasure to Cartman, but Cartman just insisted that he liked topping a lot better. Despite that, Kyle persisted topping every now and then anyway.

Now it was Wednesday. The four boys made conversation amongst themselves at lunch time. Cartman naturally sat next to Kyle. They hoped them sitting too close didn’t catch anyone else’s eye, but they’d always seem to end up sitting with their elbows or knees touching.

"I guess it doesn’t bother me," Stan said in the midst of their conversation. "It’s not like you guys act that much different."

Kyle nodded, happy that Stan had gotten slightly more used to the idea that he was with Cartman. It was obvious that Stan didn’t approve, but he at least tolerated it now.

"You know, you guys are actually kinda cute together." Kenny chimed happily. "In a sort of messed up way."

"It’s not cute, Kenny. It’s super hot." Cartman corrected, not really validating his point as he was stuffing his face and talking with his mouth full. Kenny couldn’t help but find this display amusing, snorting into his hoodie.

"Slow down, Cartman. It’s not like the food’s gonna run off your tray if you don’t eat it as fast as possible." Kyle teased, taking a small drink of his orange juice.

"With Cartman it might," Stan joked.

"I’m hungry. I’ll eat at whatever speed I want to." Cartman retorted as he wiped his mouth. His eyes seemed to wander past Kyle’s person, catching someone walking with intent toward their table. Cartman recognized the person, Heidi, one of the girls that was interested in Kyle. He held back a grimace as she approached the table, forcing himself to make a neutral expression.

"Hey Kyle," The girl said, catching Kyle’s attention with her endearing tone. Kyle tried to not make a nervous expression upon seeing who it was. Heidi seemed to be tailing him more and more often these days, trying to make small talk with Kyle whenever she caught him somewhere in school. He acted mildly disinterested, but it seemed it wasn’t enough for her to pick up on the idea that he didn’t want anything to do with her.  
"Hey, Heidi." Kyle met eyes with the girl, instantly regretting it because the eye-contact made Heidi blush and smile happily. He looked away and bit into his pizza. Heidi remained silently next to Kyle, exhibiting anxious gestures such as swaying and rocking on her heels.

"Did you get my note?" Heidi asked, still holding a bright smile.

"Yeah." Kyle replied, knowing she was referring to a note she pasted on his locker, saying something along the lines of meeting her somewhere at a certain time. "Sorry, I can’t."

"Busy?"

"Yeah."

Heidi let herself drift closer to Kyle, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. “Well, we’re here now.” The girl let her fingers dance gently on Kyle’s shoulder, then rubbing it soothingly. “I’m sure your friends don’t mind if I just talk to you.”

Kyle glanced at the friends in question. Stan and Kenny’s eyes seemed to dart nervously between Kyle and the boy next to him. Kyle didn’t want to turn to abruptly to Cartman, but if he had to guess he’d probably assume there were traces of anger on his face.

Unfortunately Kyle wasn’t the type to be okay with fending off someone who had a crush on him. Heidi seemed so interested in him and he wasn’t too keen on hurting her. He’d have to do it gently somehow. It would’ve been so easy to say ‘I’m gay’ and be done with it if it weren’t for the fact that gossip spread like wildfire among girls, and he didn’t want the entire school knowing. The information would inevitably spread to his parents.

Kyle raised his hand, moving Heidi’s hand off of his shoulder as gingerly as he could. She seemed to take this the wrong way, as her next move was to plop herself into Kyle’s lap, to which he flinched frantically.

"Heidi, don’t." Kyle’s words came out nervously. His nerves were probably being misinterpreted by Heidi. It seemed like Heidi was making him nervous, but he was more concerned with the idea of Cartman shouting angrily at Heidi, running his mouth and spilling Kyle’s secret.

"Come on, Kyle, you’re way too cute to be this shy." Heidi giggled as she leaned her back against Kyle’s chest.

Kyle frowned very outwardly as Heidi wiggled on his lap. He really should have expected this, Heidi was considered cute so it made sense for her to be so forward. In that case Kyle didn’t have to feel so guilty about rejecting her.

As Kyle was about to push Heidi off of him, there was an abrupt shift in weight on his lap. The heel of Cartman’s shoe scraped against Kyle’s knee as he had suddenly kicked Heidi off of Kyle’s lap, sending her toppling forward and crashing to the floor. Kyle’s heart lurched forward when it hit him what had just happened.

"Cartman!" Kyle shouted, the anger in his voice completely offset by the astonishment in it.

"Whoops." Cartman gave lamely. He didn’t even try to hide his irritated expression. Kyle turned guiltily to Heidi as she stumbled to her feet, rubbing the area of her ass that Cartman kicked. Seemed like Cartman kicked her hard.

"What the fuck is your problem, asshole?!" Heidi shrieked painfully. The shrill sound of her yelling was enough to make Kyle want to cover his ears.

"Your perfume’s too strong, bitch. I was fucking suffocating with you next to me." Cartman answered.

"So get off your fat ass and go somewhere else!!" Heidi shouted, making somewhat of a scene in the lunch room as it seemed the entire cafeteria went silent.

Heidi’s insult invoked a darker expression on Cartman’s face. He jolted up from his seat, his eyes locked on Heidi. Kyle instantly got up and shoved against Cartman’s forward movement towards Heidi, standing between them.

"Don’t!" Kyle demanded, angrily looking Cartman in the eyes. Cartman gritted his teeth beneath his lips, his stare intense on Kyle. Kyle returned his stare, though a bit apprehensive on the inside. He had a bit of anticipation to stop the boy, knowing he didn’t like being called fat. Within Cartman’s circle of friends it was fine; for anyone else, it could mean a missing limb.

Kenny had come over to try to calm Cartman down as well. He placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to say calming words that neither of the boys heard as they stared at each other. Eventually, Cartman’s gaze softened, although still visibly irritated.

"Act faster next time." He said in a low quiet voice. Kyle raised an eyebrow, a little miffed by Cartman’s demand. Kyle couldn’t seriously be blamed for Cartman kicking a girl in the ass. But that just seemed to be Cartman’s logic. With Kenny’s hand on his shoulder, Cartman eased back down into his chair, gesturing for Kyle to deal with Heidi. Kyle turned and sighed, facing Heidi with a sincere expression.

"Listen, Heidi. I’m not interested in a relationship."

Heidi’s irritated expression formed into a disheartened one. “..Oh..”

"Don’t take it personally. I don’t really want you or anyone, alright?" Kyle elaborated, touching Heidi’s shoulder lightly for moral support.

”..Whatever. Tell that asshole this isn’t over.” Heidi shrugged Kyle’s touch off, turning and stomping away.

After a few minutes the cafeteria turned to its regular state, the ambiance of chatter filling the room. Kyle sat back down with Cartman releasing a huge sigh. “Dammit Cartman.”

"You took your sweet time telling her to fuck off." Cartman retorted. Kyle chose to bite back his words, not wanting to potentially draw anymore attention to themselves with a fight. The school cafeteria wasn’t the place to talk about this.

____

"I don’t care if she went ‘too far,’ dude. You don’t fucking kick girls." Kyle spat as the four boys walked home. They were just now leaving the campus grounds on their way home to hang out together. Despite still being within earshot of a few other students Kyle didn’t bother worrying about anyone overhearing him. It’s not like he’d be directly talking about their relationship, despite Cartman’s making them conspicuous being the topic of argument.

"Well it didn’t look like you were gonna get her off your lap, so I did it for you." Cartman said shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked. Kyle heaved out a half-exaggerated groan.

"First of all, I was about to take her off my lap. You decided to kick her off just seconds before I was about to. Second, I’m not an asshole like you. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings."

"Fuck her feelings. God forbid she doesn’t get every man she wiggles her pussy on." Cartman retorted with a huff.

As usual, when Cartman and Kyle argued like this Kenny and Stan would always stay out of it. There was no need to chip in their two cents since Kyle would generally be thorough on correcting Cartman. The two decided to lag behind their friends, talking among themselves.

"I don’t need you to be ‘solving’ my problems for me. Especially when you do it like that." Kyle said.

"Whatever, you can’t tell me what to do." Cartman laughed, his body language easing slightly despite Kyle still frowning at him.

Kyle briefly wondered if Cartman was just saying that to get the last word, since that was how Cartman preferred to end arguments. The tactic didn’t piss Kyle off as much as it did when they were kids, but it concerned him now because he didn’t want Cartman just taking his anger out on whoever pissed him off or made him jealous. It wasn’t a good idea for the two to make a scene if they planned to stay low profile. They wouldn’t be ‘in the closet’ for long if Eric kept taking shots at any girl that decided to flirt with Kyle. Kyle decided he’d have to elaborate this further to Cartman.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before Kyle had time to react a fist suddenly thrust into Cartman’s face.

The fist had smacked into Cartman’s cheekbone, a shock of dizziness coming over him as he stumbled to the ground. His brain took a moment to register what happened, the noise of the outside world blending together while he recomposed himself. In the ambiance he could hear what sounded like someone shouting at him, insulting him. Then a tall blond-haired jock looking guy was towering over Cartman, yanking him up by his jacket as Cartman tried to recollect himself.

"You got that?! If you ever even look at Heidi again, I’ll kick your ass!!" The guy screamed. Oh, Heidi had a white knight. How fucking surprising. Cartman had the overwhelming urge to spit in his face, but he held it back.

"Who the fuck are you, kid?" Cartman growled. While mouthing the words he realized his bottom lip had busted open.

"I’m the guy who’s gonna kick your ass if you don’t stay away from my friend!" The guy shouted, shaking Cartman’s jacket.

"Chill out, dude.." Kyle murmured to the guy, hoping to get rid of the tension on the guy’s face. It wasn’t necessarily that he was worried about him kicking Cartman’s ass. Cartman probably deserved it, if Kyle was being perfectly honest. But there were very few people in South Park that could get away with pissing Cartman off, and this faceless teenager was definitely not on that list.

"Are you seriously defending this asshole?! He hit a fucking girl!!" The guy had nearly leaped at Kyle in response to his little comment. Kyle backed up a little, not wanting to let this guy get in his face that much. Bystanding students began to gather around them, and over the guy’s shoulder Kyle could see Stan and Kenny making their way toward the scene.

Another scene. Great.

Cartman stumbled to his feet, rubbing the blood off his lip. “Tell your bitch she stinks when she’s in heat.” He laughed.

God dammit Cartman.

Predictably, the blond jock threw himself at Cartman. By what seemed to be instinct Kyle jumped between them, keeping them apart with outstretched arms.

"He’s not gonna do it again," Kyle insisted frantically. "This doesn’t have to be a big deal—"

The jock swiftly expressed his disagreement by plunging a fist into Kyle’s stomach. Kyle’s knees buckled as his chest dropped reactively towards his knees, wincing and coughing. So this guy was one of those types. The type to just go all out when he was pissed off, hitting anyone who got in his way.

Kyle was nearly knocked off balance when Cartman dashed right past him, tackling the guy full force into the pavement of the sidewalk. Cartman flipped him so the jock’s chest was pressed against the pavement, and Cartman’s full weight pinned him down. With one hand he smothered the jock’s face against the cold sidewalk, the other hand locking the jock’s arm against his back.

"Motherfucker..!" The jock snarled. He tried to wriggle out of Cartman’s grasp, but it was a feeble attempt.

"Not so tough now, huh?!" Cartman growled as he pressed the jock’s face further into the pavement when he struggled.

"Cartman, let him go! He’s not worth it!" Stan said now that he and Kenny caught up to their other two friends.

"Fuck you, this asshole punched me in the face!" Cartman shouted, still pinning the jock down.

"You got him back, that’s enough isn’t it? The last thing you guys need is to draw attention to yourselves." Stan reasoned, though his glare was still sharp on Cartman’s person. Cartman returned the glare, but huffed in defeat.

He gave a light punch to the side of the jock’s head, then pushing himself up off the ground. Stan came over and helped the jock as he scrambled to his feet. Cartman rolled his eyes. It was so like Stan to be a goody two shoes just so he looked good in front of other people.

Stan seemed to mumble something to the guy under his breath as he helped him up. The jock took a last look at Cartman, shot him a pathetic half-glare and stomped away in the opposite direction.

Kyle smiled thankfully at Stan when he walked over, and Stan lent a supportive arm to Kyle in return.

Seeing Kyle’s smile for Stan definitely wasn’t helping Cartman’s mood.

~

On the walk home there wasn’t much talking. Stan made idle conversation with Kyle but it was difficult for Kyle to keep up the conversation. He was far too lost in his own thoughts. It seemed the same for Cartman, or maybe he was just feeling burnt out.

~

"Ow, this shit’s cold!" Cartman gasped as he yanked the packet of ice away from his mouth. Kyle had handed it to him for his busted lip, since there wasn’t really many other ways to treat it. The four now sat in Stan’s living room on the couch, waiting to play a game while Stan sorted through his library. "Fuck, this sucks." Cartman grumbled against the ice.

"Serves you right. You need to control your temper." Kyle scolded, plopping down in the seat next to him.

"Hey! I didn’t throw the first punch!"

"Dumbass, if you didn’t kick Heidi we wouldn’t have been in that situation at all! That guy was fighting for Heidi! That busted lip is all thanks to your lack of self-control!" Kyle argued back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh yeah? Well if you’d told Heidi to fuck off sooner I wouldn’t have had to kick her off, so really my busted lip is your fault!"

"Such a great couple," Stan murmured sarcastically as he pulled out a game cover. Cartman felt a light pang of anger in the pit of his stomach for a moment but chose to ignore it. He kept his attention on Kyle, who was incredibly upset at him. More upset than he’d usually be with their mild arguments.

"I shouldn’t have to cover you just because you got jealous! That’s something you need to deal with!" Kyle said firmly, jabbing his finger against Cartman’s chest.

"Oh yeah right!" Cartman scoffed.

"I don’t even like girls, so what the hell were you worried about?"

"You’re telling me that if you saw a girl flirting with me you wouldn’t feel mad at all? That’s bullshit, Kahl!"

"Who the hell’d want to flirt with you in the first place?!"

Kyle instantly felt regret when he caught a hurt expression on Cartman’s face. It was only for a moment and was replaced with his standard look of irritation, but the hurt expression was undeniably there. To make things worse Stan and Kenny were now staring at both of them and the silence in the room was practically deafening.

Cartman jerked his head away from Kyle’s, looking apprehensive. He seemed at a loss for words. Although this wouldn’t be the first time he heard something like that, it was different coming from his own boyfriend. The insult had caught him so off-guard and now the boys were all staring at him. How embarrassing.

"…It was hypothetical, dumb jew." He finally said, mustering a firm tone. It didn’t seem to break the tension much. Cartman could still feel eyes on him, and he felt increasingly more uncomfortable with each passing second. Kyle shifted in his seat.

"That came out wrong — What I said, I mean.." Kyle said with a reluctant look on his face.

"I don’t give a shit anyway." Cartman snorted in response. He was still pretty pissed but he wasn’t about to make a big spectacle about him getting his feelings hurt. He was Cartman. Words didn’t hurt him.

"No really… I didn’t mean it like that." Kyle persisted.

"I’m gonna get a soda." Cartman said with an agitated grunt, pushing himself off the couch. Kyle made an attempt to grab Cartman’s wrist, but Cartman swatted his hand away when he tried and made a quick beeline into the kitchen.

”.. God dammit.” Kyle slumped into the couch. He thought about following Cartman but he got the hint that Cartman didn’t want to talk.

"Maybe he just needs to cool off." Stan shrugged, finally popping a game disc into his Xbox.

Cartman quickly found himself a Dr. Pepper from Stan’s fridge. He leaned against the counter and let the can cool his hands as he held it. It’d been a relentlessly frustrating day.

The girl flirting with Kyle and then Stan’s remark about their relationship had already been challenging his security… then Kyle went and said that.

He’d definitely been happy with their relationship so far, but in the back of Cartman’s mind there was a lingering sense of doubt. Something that told Cartman that Kyle didn’t really like him that much, or that Kyle didn’t like him as strongly as Cartman did. But then, Kyle was the one who wanted to be in a real relationship with him. And Kyle did give reasons why he liked Cartman. With proof like that Cartman felt like he shouldn’t be worried.

But anyone else that learned about their relationship objected heavily to it. Nobody was willing to give Cartman the chance at something as tender as a real relationship.

Yet, Kyle had given him that chance. As Cartman thought more and more about it, he found his frustration slowly dissipating.

Cartman popped open his can and took a big gulp of it. Out in the living room Stan’s game could be heard starting up.

Cartman briefly wondered if Kyle would start trying to say sorry to him again if he went back into the room. That was the most uncomfortable thing. He didn’t want any vulnerability to be highlighted in front of his friends.

"Dr. Pepper, huh? I can’t drink that stuff anymore."

Cartman’s gaze met Kenny, who seemed to sneak up on him while he was lost in thought. Cartman raised an eyebrow at him, then sipping more of his soda. “It’s pretty good.” He said simply.

"Guess I don’t like agnostic drinks." Kenny shrugged, smiling. Cartman gave Kenny’s joke a small nod of acknowledgement, then Kenny continued. "So what’s up your ass right now anyway?"

"What are you talking about, poor boy?" Cartman deadpanned, trying to give off a nonchalant expression.

"It’s not like you to storm off because of some lame ass insult. You and Kyle throw insults at each other all the time." Kenny replied. He threw an arm over Cartman’s shoulders, sending him a teasing smirk. "Don’t tell me being a relationship with Kyle’s making you go soft."

"Fuck off Kenny." Cartman grunted as he shrugged off the contact. "Kyle makes me anything but soft."

"That’s the spirit," Kenny laughed. "But really, you okay?"

"Dude. I just wanted a drink." Cartman lied blatantly. He and Kenny both knew he was lying, but they also knew Kenny was only there to cheer him up. Kenny seemed to do that for a lot of people, comfort them when they needed it. Even Cartman. It usually wouldn’t work and Cartman would just push him away, but when it did work it was very rewarding.

" ‘Kay, I’ll get Stan and Kyle some drinks too." Kenny said as he dipped his head into the fridge. Once he hugged 3 soda cans against his forearm he turned to Cartman again. "You gonna play Black Ops or not?"

"Ugh, local Black Ops. I hate that split screen shit." Cartman groaned as he followed Kenny back into the living room.

"It’ll make you feel better. You can shoot minorities without going to court." Kenny joked, nudging at Cartman playfully. Cartman rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling a bit.

He reclaimed his seat next to Kyle, picking up a free controller. He glanced over at Kyle who was looking at him curiously. All he could think at that moment was he hoped Kyle wouldn’t try to explain himself for his outburst.

Kyle glanced elsewhere for a moment. Then he scooted closer, taking Cartman’s arm and draping it over himself as he leaned against Cartman. Cartman was taken aback by this gesture; it seemed the other boys were too, as they seemed to do a double take. After a moment or two Cartman became comfortable with it. Kyle didn’t move even while they played Black Ops, he ended up snugly in Cartman’s lap for the next hour and a half. It was actually kind of nice that Kyle was okay with cuddling like this in front of people. Even if he was just doing it to be a suck up.

**7:00 PM**

"You know what we should do?" Cartman said as he and Kyle made their way to the basement’s mattress once again. This was their go to place most of the time, and it was more comfortable to have sex here anyway.

"What?" Kyle asked as Cartman scooted onto the mattress. Kyle followed suit.

Cartman snaked his arms around Kyle’s waist and gave him a playful smirk. “We totally need to fuck in your living room.”

"Cartman," Kyle deadpanned. That was all he really needed to say.

Cartman chuckled. “Come on, it’d be like the biggest ‘fuck you’ to your homophobic parents.” He nuzzled the crook of Kyle’s neck as he spoke. Kyle shivered, but kept his attention on the conversation.

"They’re not homophobic. They just don’t want  _me_  to be gay.” Kyle corrected.

"Okay, whatever. We should totally fuck in their living room anyway, when they’re off somewhere." Cartman persisted, nipping lightly at Kyle’s neck. Kyle groaned lightly in response, threading his hands through Cartman’s hair.

"Hmm, I guess it’s better than what I thought you were gonna suggest." Kyle mumbled, getting distracted as Cartman went to town on his neck. Kyle splayed his fingers out on Cartman’s shoulders, giving a soft sigh. To Kyle’s dismay Cartman stopped suckling on his neck to pull back and give him a curious look.

"What’d you think I was gonna say?" Cartman queried, looking down at Kyle now. Kyle blinked a couple times before he registered the question.

"Uhh.. I thought you wanted to do some kinky shit." Kyle’s legs shifted anxiously. "You’re a sadist, right?"

Kyle’s heart skipped a beat as Cartman got this sudden look about him; the same feral, dangerous smirk Kyle knew all his life, mixed with a look of arousal. If Kyle had to guess, Cartman had started fantasizing about doing things to Kyle. Naughty, kinky things.

"A little." Cartman murmured, running a single finger down the center of Kyle’s chest. Once Kyle had locked eyes with Cartman he felt his heart rate pick up and heat rushed to his face. He felt undeniably thrilled with the look of sheer lust Cartman was giving him, but he wasn’t sure he was up for trying kinks out just yet. Even if just the mere thought turned Cartman on.

"… I don’t think I like pain." Kyle said, trying to not sound too anxious.

"Hmm, well, there’s other things I could do that don’t involve pain." Cartman’s voice was soft and quiet now, but it still had that taunting quality to it. The sound of Cartman’s voice when it was like this never failed to entice Kyle.

"Like what?" Kyle asked hesitantly, giving a silent gulp as he held eye-contact with his boyfriend. Cartman’s eyes briefly wandered in thought, then coming back to Kyle as he leaned into him. He pressed his lips against Kyle’s slowly and gently, as if he were making a promise with the kiss.

"Let’s try something out. Just a little taste of it." Cartman smirked, running his finger along Kyle’s jaw. Kyle stared at Cartman expectantly as he stood up and went to the boxes in the nearby corner of the basement. Cartman was looking for something. Kyle followed him, looking over his shoulder anxiously.

Cartman smirked over at Kyle next to him, revealing a medium-length rope in his hand. Kyle stared questioningly at Cartman, then looked at the rope again.

"Too vanilla for it?" Cartman taunted. Kyle frowned. He knew he was letting the taunt get the better of him, but he couldn’t help it.

"You have to promise it won’t be anything painful." Kyle said firmly. Cartman ran his fingers through Kyle’s hair, then gave him another tender kiss.

"Promise."

With that Cartman slipped behind Kyle, looping the rope around Kyle’s wrists and tying his hands behind his back. He made sure the rope was just tight enough, giving it a tug as a means of testing it. Kyle did the same, wriggling his hands beneath the rope out of curiosity as Cartman walked back in front of Kyle.

The act of Cartman stroking Kyle’s face as tenderly as he did made Kyle blush and fidget. Kyle felt the urge to put his hands on Cartman’s body, but with his hands restrained the way they were he was forced to just stand there. Cartman smiled at Kyle’s mildly frustrated expression, then wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

Cartman quickly slipped his tongue in, pressing his lips hard against Kyle’s, practically sucking the life out of him. Kyle could feel Cartman’s hands stroking his waist, then reaching around and squeezing his ass. Kyle tensed up in reaction and couldn’t help moaning into his mouth.  
When Cartman broke off the kiss Kyle found himself gasping for air. He’d become semi-hard from it, and gave Cartman an anxious glance before looking back at his constricted wrists. “Nn… not having my hands is annoying…”

Cartman gave a soft laugh as he stroked Kyle’s chest. “Makes you feel a little helpless, doesn’t it, Kyle?” He taunted in a husky tone that made Kyle shiver. Cartman seemed to already be enjoying this thoroughly. Maybe his imagination was doing a lot for him at this point.

Cartman pressed his body against Kyle’s, cupping Kyle’s groin in his hand and stroking slowly. At the same time he nipped Kyle’s shoulder in order to get him worked up faster. He worked his hand against Kyle’s bulge until it grew to a decent hardness. Kyle gave an aroused but agitated groan. Having his hands tied really did make him feel helpless. Kyle wanted to grab onto Cartman, to touch him and grind against his large body, but with this setup he had to take only what was given to him.   
With that smug grin still on his face Cartman pulled Kyle’s pants and boxers down to his ankles, then coming back up and sliding his hands between Kyle’s thighs. Kyle anticipated Cartman to grab onto his cock, but to his dismay the feeling never came. Instead Cartman sat on the edge of the bed, leaving Kyle standing a few feet in front of him.

Kyle stared incredulously at Cartman, who now spread his legs and started running his fingers along the bulge in his own pants. Cartman bit down on his lip in a grin, taking in the appealing visual of Kyle’s bare legs and erection. “God Kyle, you’re so fucking hot…” Cartman moaned.

Kyle’s face flushed deep red. Despite their previous encounters that was the first time Cartman had called him hot or anything of the sort. It sounded so odd from Cartman’s lips, but it made Kyle’s body tingle nonetheless. As Cartman touched himself more and more, Kyle began to squirm visibly.

"Did you want to do something?" Cartman teased, running his hands along his thighs.

"I couldn’t if I wanted to," Kyle breathed, trying not to sound as worked up as watching Cartman touch himself actually made him. Cartman raised an eyebrow at him.

"What’s stopping you?" He cupped his cheek in his hand now, leaning against it. Kyle gave him a nervous look when he beckoned Kyle to come over to him.

Kyle’s face beamed red. His hands were tied and his pants were around his ankles. How did Cartman expect him to walk over there? If Cartman set this up to be embarrassing, it was definitely playing out that way.  
With quite a large amount of reluctance, Kyle slowly made his way over to the bedside. Keeping his eyes on his feet proved to be useful for two reasons. For one he could make sure he didn’t trip over his own pants — for another, he could hide his pissed off and embarrassed face this way. He felt absolutely silly doing this. He stood in front of Cartman now, waiting in anticipation to be touched again.

Cartman smiled up at Kyle with teasing eyes, still sitting on the bed. “Get on your knees.” He commanded.

Kyle glared at Cartman, he felt embarrassed but was so tempted by his arousal. He couldn’t help but enjoy this to some extent; it was kind of exciting and Cartman was enjoying it so much. He dropped to his knees and waited, still refusing to let the irritated expression leave his face. Cartman unzipped his pants, letting his cock pitch a tent against the fabric of his boxers.

"Suck my dick."

Kyle shivered from the sound of Cartman’s low, commanding voice. It was so obvious that he was getting pleasure from ordering Kyle around like this. Kyle then focused his gaze on Cartman’s clothed erection. Cartman had intentionally left the boxers on. Kyle jerked his wrists against the rope, quickly realizing he’d have to remove the fabric with his mouth. Great…

Kyle lowered his face to Cartman’s pelvis, aiming for the rim of the boxers. He felt Cartman shift around in anticipation. After a moment or two of thought Kyle moved away from the rim and pressed his lips against Cartman’s still clothed shaft, licking and suckling at the fabric covering it. In his mind he decided that he wasn’t going to just go along with what Cartman wanted to the last letter. This was a minuscule amount of resistance, but it was something.

The light moaning he got in response was still rewarding, and he pressed his lips more firmly at the tip of the tent, pulling some of the fabric taught into his mouth with the cock. It occurred to Kyle that he still hadn’t given Cartman a real blowjob before. He’d just teased a little with his lips that first time. That must have been going through Cartman’s mind too. Kyle knew he could probably use this against Cartman.

He began to moan theatrically against Cartman’s cock, dampening the fabric further and further every time he passed his tongue across the head. Cartman bit his bottom lip in frustration, taking his hand and pushing it against Kyle’s forehead. As he pushed Kyle’s head back he pulled his boxers down so that his cock was bare.

Kyle smirked teasingly at Cartman, feeling a small victory in not having to pull the boxers off with his mouth.

"Hurry up," Cartman breathed, pushing Kyle down by the back of his head. It was a little tedious to take the cock in his mouth without the use of his hands to prop it up, but Kyle managed to slide it in.

"Oh fuck…" Cartman gasped when Kyle took him in further, engulfing his cock with sweet amazing sensations. "Fuck yeah.. take it all, Kyle.." He moaned.

Sucking Cartman off was proving to be challenging in itself. Cartman’s thick cock took up a lot of space in Kyle’s mouth, and barely even fit between his lips. Kyle carefully worked his tongue against Cartman’s shaft, sliding it against the flesh as best he could. Cartman threaded both of his hands through Kyle’s hair, taking in shallow breaths as Kyle continued blowing him. For a few moments longer he let Kyle continue, then decided to pull Kyle away.

"Dammit, I need to fuck you right now.. " Cartman said, and suddenly Kyle felt himself being lifted. Cartman swiftly pulled Kyle on the bed and flipped him over so he was on his knees. This was the first time he would be taking it from behind… With his arms he would’ve propped himself up but since Kyle was tied he found his face pressed against the sheets of the bed. The heat collected in his cheeks again, remembering the helplessness that he had to deal with. With all the blood that had been circulating to his face he thought he might go dizzy. Kyle could feel Cartman’s hands on his waist now, groping them roughly, as opposed to how tenderly he would usually touched Kyle. Kyle groaned into the sheets as Cartman began to probe him with lubed fingers.

The feeling of helplessness was enhanced by the fact that Kyle was blindsided now, so he really had no option but to sit there and take it. It was such an alien feeling to have such minimal participation, but at the same time the idea of receiving pleasure without anticipating it was strangely thrilling.

There was the distinct sound of the rubber being snapped on, but even then Kyle could only guess at when Cartman would put it in him. Kyle felt a sudden lurch in his stomach when his head was suddenly being pressed down against the sheets as Cartman pushed into his opening.

He instinctively let out a yelp, being slightly muffled by the sheets he was pressed into. He heard Cartman moan behind him as he held him down, thrusting firmly against Kyle.   
"God… holy shit.." Cartman gritted out as he thrusted, pushing Kyle’s face further against the mattress. Kyle moaned roughly into the sheets. He was mildly frustrated that he couldn’t clench the sheets for support, but he focused more on the way Cartman was reacting.

He was used to having Cartman’s thrusts steady and smooth, but now there was a force that wasn’t usually there. There was a strength that Kyle felt in Cartman’s hands on his skin, a roughness that was new to him. The growling moans Cartman gave came in a steady flow and they sounded unintentional, like Cartman couldn’t help himself. While Kyle had his wits about him he realized that being in complete control really did something to Cartman.

Kyle found it difficult to think clearly soon. Cartman was pushing his entire body back and forth with just the force and fluidity of his thrusts, pushing Kyle’s torso continuously against the mattress. Kyle found himself feeling completely overwhelmed with a new, exciting type of thrill that he hadn’t achieved before. He soon felt like he wasn’t even in the same world anymore. In the midst of the rough thrusts Cartman’s cock pressed against Kyle’s prostate, and Kyle let out an abrupt shaky cry. The sound of his voice would’ve embarrassed him if he wasn’t so filled with ecstasy at this point.

Much to Kyle’s surprise Cartman slowed his thrusts and removed his hand from the back of Kyle’s head.

"S..Sorry," Cartman gritted out, easing his thrusts. It seemed Cartman had misinterpreted his embarrassing noise as a sound of disapproval. Kyle panted and groaned in frustration at the sudden absence of the intensity. He felt the magical thrill fading fast without the friction present.

"Ahh.. what… no no.. don’t go slower..!" Kyle gasped desperately. He felt absolutely crazy now. In fact he was pretty sure he was going insane at this point.

"Hunnh…you like that?" Cartman panted with a newfound excitement in his voice, picking up his pace again until he was practically thrusting Kyle’s entire body forward again. "You like to be fucked hard Kyle…?" Cartman strained, his voice trembling and drunk with arousal.

Kyle let out a loud extended whimper as his body shook forward. “Oh my god..!” He practically shouted, the words coming out choppy as they were being fucked out of him. If his hands weren’t tied he’d probably be wrapping his legs around Cartman’s waist, clawing at his back. He felt so fucking crazed as Cartman pounded into him hard, striking into his body like he never felt before. After all that teasing they’d been doing Kyle suddenly felt like he wanted to be fucked as hard as possible. And god did it feel good. Kyle smothered his own face into the sheets, trying to strangle out his crazed whimpers.

With a final thrust and a shout Cartman’s orgasm surged through him, squeezing Kyle’s ass as he came. Kyle came at practically the same time as he whimpered loudly into the sheets, his semen spewing beneath him.

The two remained motionless for a while to catch their breath, still overwhelmed in the haze of their orgasms.

"Holy sweet Jesus…" Cartman said, moaning lightly as he slid his still tingling cock out of Kyle’s ass. "That.. holy shit.. awesome.."

Kyle’s lower body sunk down into the mattress as he trembled, still breathing heavily. There was another stretch of silence as the boys took in the feeling. Then Cartman nudged Kyle’s arm lightly. “Hey, you in there?”

"Mmnn… My hands are going numb…" Kyle murmured, wriggling his tied hands for emphasis. His voice was still shaking from the lingering sensations of all the intensity he’d just experienced. His entire body was still so hot and pulsing. He just wanted to lie there.

"Hold still," He heard Cartman’s voice say. That wouldn’t be too hard. Kyle felt Cartman take his restrained hands in his, then heard the ropes being cut apart with a knife.

"A knife," Kyle seemed to repeat his observation.

"A knife has lots of uses." Cartman replied defensively.

Kyle huffed, recovering a bit now. “I bet, when it comes to your kinks.”

"My kinks," Cartman laughed, pulling Kyle’s body up to his so that Kyle was sitting in Cartman’s lap. "My kinks might become your kinks in time."

Kyle let his lead lay limp against Cartman’s shoulder, too tired to even hold up much of a frown. “I don’t know about that.”

"You seemed pretty into it just now." Cartman smirked teasingly at Kyle.

Kyle thought for a moment. “Did tying me up count as sadism?” He wondered aloud.

Cartman smiled, wrapping his arms snugly around Kyle. “It was just a taste, but it was a total power trip for me. Watching you squirm, that look on your face, then fucking you senseless like that… That was so fucking hot.”

Kyle would’ve tensed in anger here if he wasn’t so tired. “You’re a freak.” He said simply, though he gave Cartman a genuinely endearing smile.

"Better than being vanilla." Cartman smiled back. "I bet now that you got a little taste of kinky you’re dying to do more."

"Are you kidding? My ass is fucking burning and my wrists hurt." Kyle protested. "I think I can wait a little before I try anything like that again."

Cartman whined in the back of his throat. “Don’t be so vanilla.”

"Fuck you."

Cartman smiled, kissing Kyle gently on the lips. Kyle kissed back happily, wrapping his arms around Cartman’s body. He was happy to have his arms back. Kyle felt they were essential to expressing his affection to Cartman; something that might have been in question earlier this afternoon.

After Cartman cleaned up the mess they made on the bed he sat back onto the bed with Kyle. The two lied down, Cartman pulling Kyle up against his body so they cuddled on the bed in silence. It was a comfortable silence, one that made Kyle feel safe, like he could fall asleep in Cartman’s arms. Kyle was happy to see that nothing was wrong even after he said something that hurtful to Cartman. Maybe he’d just made an unnecessarily big deal about it. Once Cartman blew off some steam back there, he came back with Kenny all smiling and acting completely fine.

… Kenny… Kyle began to wonder if because of their experiments, there was still feeling between the two of them. Kenny insisted that there wasn’t, but…

Kyle pulled his head up from Cartman’s chest to face him. “Hey Cartman?”

"Huh?" Cartman grunted. He seemed like he’d been in a blissful trance before Kyle broke him out.

"Umm, How do you feel about Kenny?" Kyle asked. He felt a little forward asking this way but he couldn’t think of any other way to ask. He didn’t want there to be a long awkward silence as he thought about what he was going to say either.

"How do I feel about Kenny?" Cartman echoed as if the words were another language. He stared scrutinizingly at Kyle now.

"Just in general." Kyle tried to cover up, though it was a lame attempt.

Cartman scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Right. Thats a proposition if I’ve ever heard one, Kyle.”

Kyle tried to not look too taken aback by Cartman calling bullshit on him so quick, or the fact that he used a word like proposition, and so appropriately. Or the fact that he was saying Kyle’s name without the accent, which he’d only take off when he was being intimate with him or serious with him. Kyle gulped inwardly, not wanting to make a big deal out of nothing if he didn’t have to. He’d have to try to put it casually as possible.

"Well, you guys used to fool around right? I was just curious."

"Uhhh what," Cartman deadpanned. He still seemed very lost. Kyle wondered if he was or if this was just a ruse.

"When you were kids, you used to kiss and …touch?" Kyle offered in hopes of jogging Cartman’s memory.

"Oh.. Oh—pff. That doesn’t even count." Cartman waved his hand dismissively. Kyle’s eyes lit up with curiosity, but he tried to not express it too much.

"I was wondering what you guys did, how it all started and all that." He prompted modestly. Cartman stared apprehensively at Kyle for a moment or too, then ran his fingers through his own hair.

"He wanted help with kissing, so I dressed up as a girl and he practiced on me." Cartman sighed, looking a little pink on his cheeks. "That’s all it was. He practiced kissing techniques on me."

"Oh," Kyle said simply. His eyes were still locked on Cartman as he shifted around. "Did you like it?"

Cartman pursed his lips, giving Kyle another questioning look. “Why?”

"Just… I wanna know if that’s how you found out you were gay." Kyle explained, hoping to not set Cartman on edge.

"Bi," Cartman corrected, "And no, that’s not how I found out. If I liked being kissed it was only because Kenny was getting better at it after practicing so much."

”.. You did it a lot, huh?” Kyle said, his voice unintentionally soft.

"You jealous, Broflovski?" Cartman chuckled, now grinning at Kyle. Kyle was caught off guard by the use of his last name, and also the accusation.

"N-No! That was so long ago, I know better than that." Kyle stammered. He wanted to look away but he fought against it, keeping eye contact with Cartman.

"Yeah, it happened a lot. I’d say it made me a pretty good kisser, don’t you agree?" Cartman teased, knowing it would make Kyle mad. Kyle frowned at him.

"I’d say you’re so good with your mouth because you use it so much." Kyle retorted, making a point of gripping at Cartman’s belly. Cartman rolled his eyes, pulling Kyle’s hand away.

"So how long did you guys do it for?" Kyle asked.

"I dunno. Like, a month or two I guess." Cartman shrugged. "It wasn’t really anything. He just used me as a prop to practice on whenever he needed to. Like when he was trying to woo a girl at school or something."

Kyle stared incredulously at Cartman. “…Kenny did that?” He asked, in reaction to the idea of Kenny using anyone like they were worthless.

Cartman rolled his eyes. “Oh don’t sound so surprised. He’s been obsessed with sex even when he was a kid. He was probably going around kissing everybody.”

Kyle found himself considering this. Kenny had kissed him recently after all.

"After a while I stopped doing it. I didn’t want no god damn herpes." Cartman grunted ruefully.

"Come on Cartman, don’t talk about Kenny like that."

"Oh whatever. He’s probably whored himself out enough to feed Africa with all the herpes he got from it." Cartman said, rolling onto his back and placing his arms under the back of his head.

"Feed Africa?" Kyle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If Africans could eat herpes, I mean." Cartman yawned. "Man, all that hot sex sure made me tired."

Kyle rolled his eyes. “It’s only 7:20.”

"Yeah well, I’m gonna take a nap. Goodnight Kahl."

Kyle sighed, watching Cartman’s eyelids become heavy. He figured Cartman had partially said it to evade the conversation, but the sex this time around was pretty intense. He felt tired too but it’s not like he could fall asleep at Cartman’s house. His parents would start to wonder where he is. He let his mind wander back to the details of what Cartman told him.

Kyle let the information sink in for a moment. From what Cartman said the encounters with Kenny were generally casual and innocent. That in itself wasn’t something he expected. It didn’t really explain how Kenny knew about Cartman’s sadism. And when Kenny talked about their interactions he sounded like he’d tried to get attached to Cartman.  _'I thought he’d push you away like he did to me, but I guess he’s not a kid anymore…'_

The memory of Kenny’s voice and face when he talked about Cartman, solemn but endearing, made it seem like there had definitely been something there between them. …Maybe it was one-sided.

In that case, Kyle would have to ask Kenny sometime. He figured he shouldn’t care, but the fact that Cartman’s explanation seemed off made him nervous.

The mysteriousness of it was all too tempting.


	9. Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the cheesy fluff.

On that same night Kyle found out Cartman was a sleep talker.

His mumbling was so coherent that Kyle thought he was awake at first. After snapping his fingers in front of Cartman’s face and watching his eyes for REM, Kyle finally decided that he was actually asleep. Kyle continued to listen to what Cartman said in his sleep, and it was mostly about hippies to Kyle’s surprise.

Kyle had honestly thought he’d hear some bigoted shit about Jews or blacks or something, but it seemed like Cartman held a special, significant hate for hippies over everything else. How strange.

Kyle had felt a little guilty about watching Cartman sleep, waiting hopefully for Cartman to slip something about Kenny. He had no such luck. After a waiting a little longer Kyle decided to let Cartman sleep there, and he snuck back out the basement window and went home.

The Thursday that followed went generally well. Kyle felt the need to try to say something to Kenny about the experiments he had with Cartman, but he couldn’t seem to create the opportunity. After video games at Stan’s again Kyle and Cartman went home and spent some ‘quality time’ together. Kyle’s ass was still recovering from the passionate fucking he received the previous night, so the two settled for blowjobs and just relaxed and watched youtube videos for the rest of the night.

It was Friday now, 8 AM, the boys got on the bus. Kyle took his usual seat next to Stan. It seemed the bus was fuller this time around, because Cartman couldn’t find his usual empty seat. Most seats had been taken up by other kids.

The only free spot was next to… Butters. Cartman held back a sigh as he sat down, bracing himself.

"Hey, Eric! Long time no see!" The small blond chimed cheerfully to Cartman.

"Hey Butters," Cartman acknowledged with complete lack of enthusiasm in his voice. He hadn’t spoken to Butters since he’d gotten back from the trip, and he wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.

"It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever! Anything new and exciting happen lately?" Butters asked in his typical upbeat tone.

There was a brief pause in Cartman’s mind as he thought about what had happened in the past two and a half weeks. Kissing, holding and fucking the person he’d wanted to for years? Yeah, that sounded pretty new and exciting. Cartman restrained a smile.

"Not really," Cartman lied. Having Kyle as a boyfriend was something he’d very willingly brag about to Butters, but Kyle didn’t want many people to know. And if Butters knew, that would only be a few hours until the rest of the school knew. The guy wasn’t very good at keeping his mouth shut.

"Well, tons of new exciting stuff happened to me when I was over in Hawaii!" Butters cheered with enthusiasm. "When I was on the plane I met this really weird guy, who was jiggling his knee all funny-like, so I asked the guy, what’s with your knee? Are you nervous? And he said…"  
As Butters went on about his adventures of taking a vacation in excruciating detail, Cartman readily tuned him out. It’d been about two and a half months that Butters was away. He and his parents took a vacation to Hawaii over the summer that extended into the beginning of the school year, so he’d only very recently come back. And as Cartman expected, that meant Butters had a LOT of crap to talk about.

Butters had grown a slight bit of a backbone over the years. Only a little bit. He hung out with the guys from time to time, but he’d spent less time with the people who would always push him around, and more time with his good friend Doug. This of course didn’t stop Butters from being friendly towards Cartman and his friends. He was still friendly towards everyone.

Overly friendly; sometimes Cartman enjoyed it and sometimes he just wasn’t in the mood. It was a little jarring for someone to be so nice, compared to the people he grew up with. It made Butters’ kindness seem painfully fake at times, but having known Butters for so many years it became obvious that that’s just how Butters was.

Just unconditionally kind. And weird.

And talkative. Really fucking talkative.

**12:30, Lunch**

"God, he just wouldn’t stop. He talked my ear off all the way to school and then for the first passing period. Like I really wanted to know what that asshole ate on a rock in the middle of the ocean. God!" Cartman groaned exasperatedly.

It was like some kind of weird punishment that Cartman was stuck with Butters for the first two periods of school. Now that lunch time had come around he was ready to vent, letting all the stress flow out of him from all that silent irritation.

"What, you didn’t tell him to shut up?" Stan asked, sounding genuinely surprised by the idea that Cartman didn’t let Butters know he was being annoying like he always had in the past.

Cartman shook his head. “Better to let him get it out of his system. I don’t want to have his bullshit come in random spurts. For some reason he decides my ‘stop talking’ comment expires after 4 or 5 fucking minutes. That stupid asshole.”

"I like Butters. He always makes a huge effort to be nice to people." Kyle thought aloud, "Even if those people constantly screw him over, he still puts in the effort."

Kyle rested his cheek on his hand and looked pointedly at Cartman. It was obvious what Kyle was implying, everyone at the table knew that.   
"There’s a difference between being nice and being an idiot," Cartman said simply.

"Yeah, but there’s also a difference between being intelligent and being cynical." Stan interjected.

Cartman raised an eyebrow. “You really think Butters is any type of smart?” He really didn’t think anyone would defend Butters on such a thing.

Stan shrugged. “He has his moments.”

As if by some means of summoning, Butters then came into view in the corner of Cartman’s eye, briskly walking up with his lunch tray in hand and a cheery smile on his face.

"Hey fellas," Butters chimed happily when he reached the table.

"Hey Butters," The boys greeted in unison. Butters set his tray down and took a seat next to Kyle.

"Are any of y’all going to the party tonight?"  
There was a momentary pause as the the boys exchanged glances.

"What party?" Kenny asked, sounding intrigued.

"Well haven’t you heard? Token’s parents are going to Denver for the weekend, so he gets the house all to himself! It’s gonna be a huge party!

With a pool, and a hot tub, and video games, and girls…”

"Whoa, that sounds fun," Kyle said. The idea definitely piqued his interest. It’d been a while since he’d been to a party.

"That sounds awesome!" Kenny exclaimed, giving a little hop in his seat.

"And what, everyone’s invited?" Stan asked.

"Not the whole town, but a lot of people are. Ya know, his friends!" Butters replied.

Cartman made a light hum with a tone of uncertainty, glancing at his friends questioningly. Stan seemed to read his mind.

"I don’t know if Token really considers us his friends." Stan admitted. Kenny became silently disheartened.

"Well, Tweek invited me, and Token’s Tweek’s friend. So I guess I’m Token’s friend. And you guys are my friends, so I’m inviting you." Butters explained. His enthusiasm seemed to be slightly fleeting.

"…I don’t think that’s how it works, Butters.." Kyle started slowly. He was about to continue speaking, but Butters piped up again.

"Please, I need y’all to come with me!" He suddenly said, sounding a bit frantic.

"Why do you need us?" Stan asked.

Butters looked nervous now, tapping his knuckles together in that familiar fidgety manner. “Well… well, I heard Christine’s gonna be there… Tell em’, Eric.”

"Huh? .. Oh." Cartman grunted, remembering what Butters wouldn’t shut up about in first period. "Butters has a boner for some black-haired girl named Christine in one of his classes." He said simply, drawing a random trait about the girl from the many features Butters had listed.

"She’s real nice. And pretty. She said she’s gonna be at the party, and.. well, I was hoping I could talk to her. And well, m-maybe you guys could help me out with it."

"What like, be your wingmen?" Kyle asked. Butters fidgeted in his seat.  
"Yeah, I guess so. I know y’all are good talkers, good at convincing people and all that. So whaddaya say? Will ya help me?" Butters asked, looking up from his fidgeting hands. There was a hopeful look in his eyes.

Naturally the four boys agreed to go, if Kenny’s excitement was any indication. The distance between them and Token as friends had been increasing over the years — they were still acquaintances, but it was difficult to say whether or not they were friends enough to be invited to a party. Especially when it came to Cartman. Cartman was already considering the idea that he might not be able to get in, but the other three insisted he at least showed up.

**8:30 PM**

Cartman had decided against putting too much thought into his clothes. He decided on a black jacket with a dark red t-shirt underneath, and jeans. After lazily brushing his hair he headed down the stairs of his home. The boys all agreed to meet at Stan’s house so he could drive them. Token lived pretty far away.

As Cartman’s foot reached that final step down the staircase he was greeted by his Mother coming from the kitchen. She met his blank gaze with a smile.

"Oh are you going out, Eric?" Liane asked in her gentle motherly voice.

"Yeah. There’s a party at a friend’s house. I don’t know when I’ll be home." Cartman replied nonchalantly. He didn’t bother worrying about a curfew from his Mom, it’s not like she’d punish him for coming home late.

"My handsome boy’s growing up so fast. Oh honey, If they have alcohol, make sure you drink responsibly. Mommy gets drunk easily, so you might too." Liane cooed. It was somewhat of a strange thing to tell someone in such a sweet voice.

"…Good to know." Cartman took his keys to the house and stepped outside.

"Oh sweety, I need to talk to you when you get back okay?" Liane called.

"Alright, bye Mom!" Cartman shouted back in agitation as he kept walking. As he walked his mind lingered on what she wanted to talk to him about. He pushed it to the back of his mind when he turned the corner.  
__

Kyle decided to tell his parents that he was having a sleep over at Kenny’s house to study. He wasn’t sure how long they would be at the party or when they would come home. It was a Friday anyway, his Mother wouldn’t be too worried since it wasn’t a school night. 

Kyle felt himself bouncing on his heels as he watched Stan ring the doorbell to Token’s house. He didn’t really go to parties much, though he’d been invited to a few. On the ride over Cartman was asked if this was his first party, to which he promptly said no. Though it was pretty obvious to everyone that it was, aside from birthday parties.

Token was the one to answer the door. A look of mild surprise came onto his face when he saw the boys. “Oh, hey.” Was all he could manage. It seemed that he really wasn’t expecting them.

"Hey, Token, long time no see." Stan smiled. "Butters told us he was invited to your party and he invited us."

"They can come in, can’t they Token?" Butters asked. Token glanced blankly at Butters; for a moment it seemed like he was frowning.

"Sure, come on in," Token replied, trying to sound friendly. Stan, Kenny and Butters passed through the door, relieved that Token was letting them through. After they went through, Token closed the door and put his arm in front of the last two people that wanted to come in. Namely, Cartman and Kyle.

Specifically Cartman.

"Hang on. Do you have weapons on you?" Token said to Cartman, narrowing his eyes at the boy. Cartman blinked and stared up blankly at Token, who now held his arm.

"Nnno," Cartman said slowly. Whether or not he meant to, it came out sounding ridiculously conspicuous.

"I don’t believe you."

"Wha— why would have weapons on me?"

"Because you always have weapons on you. You’re not getting in here unless you prove that you’re not carrying any guns." Token stated firmly. Cartman made a noise that would imply that he felt offended.

"Jesus Christ, really?"

"Kyle," Token said over Cartman’s shoulder, "Can you open Cartman’s jacket? I don’t want him using his hands."

"Uh, sure." Kyle said stepping forward, starting to unzip Cartman’s jacket.

"Are you serious? What, do you think I’m gonna shoot at you or something?" Cartman frowned in disbelief as Kyle felt around his jacket.

"Wouldn’t be the first time, would it?" Token remarked, crossing his arms. "Now that you mention it you’re lucky I’m even thinking about letting you in."

"He’s got you there," Kyle said, removing his hands from the inside of Cartman’s jacket. "Cartman’s clean, Token."

"There, see? Can I go in now or do you need to get your metal detector?"

With the way Cartman was sassing Token Kyle thought for sure that Token was going to change his mind and kick Cartman out. But he allowed the guy to go in, and Kyle followed. Token had always been well-tempered for whatever reason, towards everyone. To see that Cartman was no exception was a relief, but at the same time kind of worrisome.   
As they walked through the entrance the two were met with music blaring through the walls from the living room. They made their way past the stairway and headed through the hall toward the sound of music. If they had to guess that’s where Stan, Kenny and Butters went too.

When they were out of Token’s sight Kyle held his palm against Cartman’s torso, stopping him and reaching into his jacket.

"You’re lucky I didn’t say anything," Kyle scolded, pulling a pocket knife out of Cartman’s jacket. "Why’d you bring this?"

"Force of habit," Cartman shrugged. Kyle rolled his eyes and placed the knife in his own jacket. He’d give it back to Cartman later, but for the extent of the party Cartman didn’t need to be wielding a knife. It made Kyle somewhat nervous. Cartman hadn’t done anything too badly in recent years, but Kyle still felt that Cartman had a tendency to be unpredictable. Though, when Cartman did react violently it was usually after being provoked in one way or another.

They soon met up with the other guys at the party. Stan had started catching up with Tweek and Craig, and Kenny had run off somewhere, but Butters seemed to have been waiting for them, sitting on the couch.

"Kyle, Eric! What took y’all so long?" Butters asked, springing up from his seat.

"Mind your own business, Butters. Where’s that chick you wanted to fuck?" Cartman spat, getting right to the point. He seemed to want to get the winging out of the way so that he could just enjoy himself, this being his first party and all.

"Uh," Butters paused for a moment, giving Cartman an apprehensive look, probably because of his wording. "Well, I think I saw her talking to her friends in the halls somewhere. I kinda wanted to say hi to her when I saw her but it was kinda scary."

Cartman rolled his eyes and gave a scoff. “Jesus, Butters.”

"Well that’s fine, it might be better if you wait a little while before you go up and talk to her." Kyle reassured him.

"Really?" Butters asked.

"Yeah, y’know, you don’t wanna seem too eager or anything. It might work better if when you approach her you act like you bumped into her by coincidence."

"But isn’t that like lying?"

"Well, look dude, if you go up to her and talk to her out of nowhere she’ll know you’ve been wanting to talk to her. That’s gonna put pressure on her and make her uncomfortable, and then you’ll both be an awkward mess. If she just ‘happens’ to bump into you then the conversation will come to her naturally." Kyle explained, articulating with his hands. It wasn’t exactly an approach he tried himself, but then again it wasn’t like Kyle had ever tried approaching anyone since 4th grade, when he still thought he liked girls.

"Well, that does sound like a good idea I guess," Butters mumbled, looking towards the hallway.

"Are you serious right now?" Cartman asked in disbelief. "Butters, that’s not what chicks want. You gotta go up to her and be direct. You really think that girl wants to talk to someone who just ‘happened’ to bump into her, and isn’t visibly interested in her?"

"Uhhh,"

"No Butters," Cartman answered for him, "A chick wants a guy that thinks she’s totally awesome and isn’t afraid to show that he thinks she’s awesome."

"What?" Kyle deadpanned, not even trying to hide his irritation. "You want Butters to be forward? That’s not gonna work."

"With the way you want him to go up to her she’s not even gonna know she’s interested." Cartman argued, rolling his eyes. "He has to take control, show her he knows what he wants!"

"He can’t take that approach because Butters isn’t that confident! It’ll just come off as creepy!"

"Well it’ll come off a lot less creepier than having him hover around in her general area until he gets the chance to bump into her! That’s stalker-ish!"

"Um," Butters mumbled, "Maybe I should ask Stan for help…"

"It’s not stalkerish! It’s just to alleviate pressure, to prevent from being too forward! Which will make him look creepy!"

"Oh right, since when is confidence creepy?" Cartman said, rolling his eyes.

"Butters isn’t confident!" Kyle insisted.

"He could  _act_  confident, Kahl!”

"No he couldn’t! Butters couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag!"

Butters resigned to sitting back down on the couch, letting the two argue it out. Their argument seemed to become circular and nitpicky the more they argued. Eventually Stan came back over with drinks.

"Hey, relax guys, it’s a party. Want a drink?" Stan asked, offering the glasses to both Cartman and Kyle. The two had just started running out of steam for their argument anyway, so there wasn’t much reluctance when they turned their attention to Stan.

Kyle took the glass in his hand, taking a whiff. “This is alcohol.”

Stan nodded. “It’s some fancy wine Token’s parents bought. Try it, it’s good!”

Kyle lowered his brow at Stan, then looking down at the wine. He’d never tried alcohol before, but he supposed a little wouldn’t hurt. He took a quick, experimental sip. He was met with a strong taste in his mouth, and it made him grimace, but it wasn’t terrible.

"I guess it’s okay." Kyle decided softly, studying his drink. Stan smiled, then offering some to Cartman.

"Here, try it."

"Pfff, No thanks. I’m gonna go find some food." Cartman huffed, not even giving his friends much of a chance to respond before he headed towards the dining room. Both Stan and Kyle sat there with a surprised look on their face. They’d both always known that Cartman liked being ‘cool’, so the idea that he’d so decidedly turn down alcohol at a party was so alien to them.

"I can’t drink either, Stan. If I go home smelling like alcohol my parents will ground me." Butters said, just in case Stan was going to offer him the drink. Stan shrugged and drank it himself.

"Hey, where’s Kenny?" Kyle asked, drinking more of his wine. As he drank he wondered how much people would be able to drink before they would start to feel drunk.

"I dunno. Somewhere over there dancing." Stan replied, lazily gesturing over to the people bunched up in the middle of the living room. The size of the living room was impressive; the guys hadn’t really been in Token’s house that many times. Especially now since they talked to him less. It seemed like the living room had gotten much bigger since the last time they saw it.

"Say, have you two noticed Eric acting kinda different lately?" Butters asked with hesitance. Kyle turned his attention to Butters now, wondering if Butters had been somehow picking up on some body language between Cartman and Kyle that neither of them noticed. He’d hoped not.

When Kyle glanced over at Stan he got the impression that Stan was thinking something similar. “What do you mean?” Stan asked after a minor lapse of silence.

"Well, I don’t know," Butters started, paused and thought for a moment.

"When I usually talk to Eric, he usually has something to say about someone he hates or something like that, or what his next big plan is gonna be. But lately when I talk to Eric he just listens to what I have to say. He’s been real quiet lately. "

Kyle resisted reading too much into this. He wasn’t sure why Eric…er,

Cartman would talk less to Butters all of a sudden. The fact that Butters picked up on this, or even worried about it was kind of strange too.

"It’s probably nothing," Kyle shrugged.

"You think he’s grumpy about something?" Butter persisted. "It was kinda weird that he would turn down alcohol too."

"Maybe he’s getting sick or something." Stan offered. Butters nodded, deciding to settle for this assumption.

The three of them sat down at the couch, talking amongst themselves, reminiscing and drinking. Stan kept getting them refills, but after a while Kyle started declining. He’d become decently drunk, and decided he wanted to at least keep his wits about him. Stan kept going, getting increasingly more and more drunk, cracking jokes and having Butters laugh. Kyle tuned them out, drifting into his own thoughts.

He let his mind linger on what Butters said. Well, it wasn’t exactly what he said. It was more that he called Cartman ‘Eric.’ Almost nobody else called him Eric. They’d been calling him Cartman for as long as they could remember. Kyle sometimes caught himself referring to Cartman as ‘Eric’ mentally, but it wasn’t something he’d usually say aloud. He was just so used to calling Cartman by his last name. But now that they were boyfriends, should he start calling Cartman by his first name? At least, in privacy?

Kyle seemed to drift back into reality now as he realized Kenny had come back, and the other guys had greeted him.

"Butters, I did it. I wingmanned you." Kenny slurred, patting Butters on the back.

"Huh?"

"That Christine girl, I hyped her up for you. She totally wants you, you should go talk to her!" Kenny pointed to a girl that was lingering in the doorway, watching them. Butters got this bright smile on his face, jumping out of his seat and heading towards Christine.

Kyle couldn’t help but smile thankfully at Kenny. “Nice one, Kenny. I didn’t even know you were over there.”

"Oh dude, Cartman’s on the karaoke machine right now," Kenny giggled, changing the subject carelessly. He was about as half as drunk as Stan, which was still pretty drunk. "He’s got a whole crowd going, they fucking love it. It’s crazyy."

Being told this, the boys seemed to hear it beneath the mixture of noise at the party. Cartman’s voice singing ‘Born This Way’ in unison with the voices of other people in the other room. Kyle laughed to himself. Cartman did always have a way with crowds of people. It was nice to think Cartman was making the best out of his first party like that.

"Shit dude, let’s go over there. Cartman can’t have all the fun to himself." Stan laughed, standing up from his seat. Kyle stood up as well, feeling unpleasant by the way he swayed while standing.

"Uh.. Actually, I think I’m gonna get some fresh air." Kyle decided.   
He found himself staggering out of the living room, eventually finding the backdoor that led him to Token’s patio. The patio was elevated a few feet off the ground, the concrete path below leading to a pond in the backyard. He sat onto the bench that hugged the side of the patio that had railing. Sitting out here was nice. the autumn breeze was chilly, but it seemed to soothe Kyle’s headache, which he didn’t realize he had until he got away from the music pounding into his ears.

Kyle had liked parties as a kid, and he still enjoyed himself here too, but he still felt he needed to take a break from it. The atmosphere in that party was kind of suffocating, especially compared to how peaceful he felt right now. His body relaxed as he stared at the stars. He was still pretty drunk. It occurred to him that it might be a good idea to get some water. As he turned towards the door he saw Kenny coming through with a can of beer in one hand and food in the other.

"There he is," Kenny slurred, taking another gulp of beer. "You hungry Kyle?"

Kyle shook his head. “You trying to drink yourself to death?”

"Hey, c’mon. It’s a party, Kyle!" Kenny laughed, taking a seat next to Kyle on the bench.

Kyle gave Kenny a small smile. Kenny wasn’t usually this outgoing; it was actually kind of nice to see him more playful. Even if it was just because he was drunk off his ass.

"You think that girl will go for Butters?" Kyle asked.

"Naah, he’s not her type. I could tell juss by lookin’ at her, she likes bad boys." Kenny replied easily.

"Oh god." Kyle scoffed. If he was more sober he might’ve withheld this thought. Kenny nudged him playfully.

"So, she has something in common with you~" He teased.

"…Really dude?" Kyle growled, frowning at Kenny. Kenny snickered in return.

"Seriously though, I can’t get it out of my head."

"Get what out of your head?"

Kenny smirked lazily at Kyle now. “The thought of Cartman fucking you.”

"Kenny, what the hell!"

Kyle’s face had already been pink from being intoxicated, but by now it was probably tomato red. Kenny snorted at Kyle’s reaction, trying to hold back his laughter but failing. His drunken state seemed to make the situation more hilarious to him. Kyle huffed and rolled his eyes, smacking Kenny’s back to get him to calm down.

" What’s that like, anyway?" Kenny asked, his laughter subsiding.

"…What do you mean?" Kyle asked warily.

"I mean, how rough is he with you?"

"Oh my god, stop." Kyle clasped his face in his hands.

"Aw come on, you can tell me!" Kenny pleaded, leaning his head against Kyle now. Kyle sighed, lifting his face from his hands.

"It doesn’t hurt, Kenny. It feels good."

"Ooh, are you saying you’re into pain?"

"No! I’m just saying it doesn’t hurt. He doesn’t hurt me. That’s what I’m telling you."

"Huh. With Cartman I thought he’d fuck you roughly."

"No. He’s pretty good at being gentle." Kyle said reluctantly. "Why are you assuming he always tops anyway? We take turns you know." He stared down at his knees, not wanting to look at Kenny. Kyle probably might’ve insisted on keeping his mouth shut if he were sober, now that he thought about it. Whatever, he felt loose. And in a way it felt interesting to tell someone about it.

"Huh… That’s pretty cool." Kenny murmured, sitting back up. The tone of his voice caught Kyle off guard. He wasn’t sure what to make of that statement. It sounded so genuine and not in a teasing manner at all.   
"How is that cool?" Kyle asked.

"I just thought he’d be more of a brat about how you guys had sex. Like he’d insist on being on top." Kenny said, shrugging.

Kyle let out a laugh at the thought. It was true that Cartman was reluctant about being bottom, but it’s not like he outright refused it. Most likely because Cartman knew that Kyle wouldn’t settle for being bottom all the time. That just wasn’t like him. But seeing Cartman’s power trip obsession he supposed it made sense to Kyle that Cartman was so reluctant to bottom.

Kyle’s thoughts halted, hinging on the thought that Kenny seemed pretty interested in what Kyle and Cartman did sexually. Maybe it was just because he was drunk. Either way, Kenny’s interest brought got Kyle back to thinking about the idea that Kenny probably used to have feelings for Cartman. He’d been waiting for an opportunity to ask Kenny about it. This was a good an opportunity as any.

"Hey Kenny, you know how you said you used to experiment with Cartman?" Kyle asked, hoping to ease Kenny into the conversation. Thinking about it, Kenny being drunk probably meant Kyle didn’t have to do much to make him speak.

"Still thinkin’ bout that, huh," Kenny said, taking another gulp of his beer. Kyle wasn’t sure if Kenny had become wary, but he may as well not worry about it. Just continue on the conversation like he planned.

"How’d that even happen? Like, did he just suddenly kiss you or something?" Kyle had already heard Cartman’s answer for this, but he wanted to hear Kenny’s side of the story in its entirety. There was no telling how little or how much Cartman had lied.

"Nah, It was when I had a crush on this girl. I wanted ta make sure I knew how ta kiss before anything happened. You guys always left Cartman n me alone, so I talked ‘im into letting me practice on ‘im."

So what Cartman said was true. Kyle was still surprised by the idea that Kenny would do something like that, but then again, they were only 8. They probably didn’t know any better.

"So.. did you guys just decide to stop doing it one day? Like, you grew out of it?" Kyle asked.

"I wish. It ran deeper than that, sadly." Kenny sighed. "We spent a lot of time together back then, playin’ together and whatever. An’ after we started kissing Cartman started opening up to me. Tellin’ me stuff about what happened at home. He had like.."

Kyle watched as Kenny took a deep breath. It seemed to be a sobering moment for him, if only for those few seconds.

"He used to freak out sometimes. I don’ even know why. He broke down a lot. He’d either get really violent and start breaking things, or he’d act weirdly happy, like he was the happiest guy in the world. Y’know like denial or something. It was kinda scary to see him like that. I wanted to help. Sometimes he let me help. Other times, he wanted to be alone." Kenny paused to press his palm against his forehead. "But either way, seeing him like that, and helping him when I could, it made us closer. Too close I think. I felt like I could help him. I felt like he needed me. But it was all so frustrating."

At this point Kyle looked at Kenny, and it seemed like Kenny was in a haze. He seemed to be thinking aloud now, not even really talking to Kyle. Just venting, rambling. Kyle didn’t mind, he was interested in how Kenny and Cartman interacted back then. Kenny continued, his drunken speech thankfully not crippling him that much.

"After a while the more we kissed, the further he pushed me away. He acted like he hated me for a while. He still let me kiss him but he stopped kissing back. One day I asked him about it, I asked him to kiss back an’ he got really mad at me. He said I was jus’ gonna go kiss some girls, so I didn’t need him anymore. Said he didn’t wanna kiss me if I was gonna keep kissing girls. He wanted me to choose between him and girls."

"An Ultimatum," Kyle added softly, wanting Kenny to know he was listening.

Kenny nodded. “I obviously chose the girls over him. I didn’t like him that way. I thought that was something he knew, but I guess not.”   
Kenny took in a deep sigh. Kyle could tell Kenny was filled with some sort of regret, even if he wouldn’t take back the choice he made if he could. He offered a hand to Kenny’s shoulder for support. Kenny took another drink, continuing.

"Cartman’s an asshole, so I guess I forgot that he could get hurt. When I chose the girls over him, I know it hurt him. I could see it in his face. … He.. we’re still friends, but I can’t help but feel like I ruined him in a way."

Kyle gave a soft, tender laugh. “It’s been years since then.”

"Things hit you harder when you’re younger." Kenny mumbled. An air of silence washed over the two. Kyle knew Kenny was probably right about that. That there was a good chance that he did hurt Cartman, and in a way it did change the way he thought about things in one way or another. But, it wasn’t entirely his fault. Cartman had been messed up before Kenny.

Kenny sat up, leaning his back on the bench. “But then, I see him with you, and he’s so… like.. wow.”

"Huh?"

"He hugs you and shit. And you guys cuddle. It’s so.. it’s so weird. Like… wow, he’s… he let you in."

Kyle laughed nervously. “I guess it is kind of weird.”

"It’s bittersweet." Kenny said. His voice was eerily soft. "He’s so relaxed now. He seems happy. Like… you’re fixing something I couldn’t."  
Kyle stared at Kenny now. Kenny’s blue eyes glimmered, almost sparkled. They were glossy now. Kyle could feel something rise in the pit of his stomach as he looked at his friend.

"I don’ wanna put any pressure on ya, Kyle." Kenny slurred, placing a hand heavily on Kyle’s shoulder. "But Cartman’s always needed someone ta care about. If that’s you then.. i’m happy. i believe in you."

Kenny slumped into a hug with Kyle, taking Kyle off guard. Kyle hesitantly patted Kenny’s back, a confused smile plastered on his face. It felt like he just received some kind of blessing or something. It filled him with some kind of happiness, despite the awkwardness of it all.

Kyle stared off with half-lidded eyes, thinking about what he’d just been told. Cartman hadn’t lied, but he hadn’t exactly told him the details either. But it was for good reason. Back then, Cartman misjudged Kenny’s intentions. Kyle knowing about a mistake like that would probably end up embarrassing Cartman.

As Kyle let his eyes wander, he suddenly caught someone leaning against the backdoor with their arms crossed, looking directly at him and Kenny. Kyle’s stomach twisted uncomfortably as he instantly recognized the person.

"Cartman," Kyle acknowledged.

Of course it was Cartman. Of course he’d be placed in this scenario. He wanted to push Kenny away, but that might make him look guilty of something he obviously wasn’t.

Kenny yanked himself off of Kyle, turning quickly to face Cartman. “Oh hey man,” Kenny blurted.

Kyle took in the look on Cartman’s face. He didn’t look happy at all. Fuck, if Cartman just walked out there and got the wrong impression from seeing Kenny hug…

"Geez, there’s a great party going on in there and all you fags wanna do is sit here and make out." Cartman huffed, a smirk playing across his face.

"We weren’t." Kyle insisted firmly. "We were just hugging." With that smile on Cartman’s face, he wasn’t sure if Cartman was just teasing or not.   
Kenny stood up off the bench, walking up to Cartman. “Off the karaoke machine this soon? You were rockin it in there,” Kenny slurred, slapping his hand onto Cartman’s shoulder.

Cartman immediately pulled away from Kenny. “Jesus, You fucking reek Kenny.”

Kenny laughed. “My bad, it’s the alcohol. But you’re right, I should go back in and party.” Cartman let Kenny by without another word, looking disgusted as Kenny stumbled through the sliding door, back into the building.

Kyle felt the curdling feeling in his stomach grow, now that Cartman had turned to face him once again, giving him a cold stare from the doorway. Cartman approached the bench, and Kyle felt his stomach lurch.   
With all that talk about Cartman’s freakouts when he was a kid, Kyle wasn’t feeling very safe at all out here. He was out drunk in the dark, alone with what might be a pretty pissed off Cartman. Kyle quickly stood up, refusing to let his fear show. He still felt like he was kind of wavering but if he was standing he wouldn’t feel as small when Cartman loomed over him.

He paused for a moment, taking in the look in Cartman’s eyes. His look was unreadable. That was honestly scarier than any infuriated face Cartman ever gave him. Kyle began to feel nauseous, wondering if he’d gotten himself in some awful situation that he might have to fight out of. He took in a breath before he spoke.

"You’re an idiot if you really think I was making out with Kenny." The words came out on their own. Kyle seemed aggressive this way, but maybe that was good. He didn’t want to look afraid. He watched for Cartman’s reaction, watched his eyebrows lower.

"I know. I was there way before he hugged you." Cartman replied. His tone was flat.

Kyle felt a pang of relief when he said this, but the relief quickly rushed out of him, taking in what that meant. And he wondered how long Cartman had been standing there without him knowing.

"Oh.. so you heard us talking." Kyle said, looking away.

"I sure did, you nosy fucking Jew. You asked Kenny about what happened back then. Why didn’t you believe me when _I_  told you what happened?” Cartman’s voice had a bit of a threatening growl in it, but he sounded a little hurt too.

Kyle felt very uncomfortable now, realizing that if Cartman knew that Kyle asked, then that meant Cartman was around to hear the whole conversation. The talk about Cartman’s breakdowns, and his hurt feelings. How Kenny thought Cartman had been ruined, and trusted him to Kyle. All of it. He felt really guilty now, really invasive. He tried to shake this feeling off.

"Because, you were being way too vague. I wanted to know what really happened, and why it happened." Kyle did his best to keep his voice from trembling. His drunkenness made it a lot harder for him to hide his nervousness.

"It’s none of your god damn business!" Cartman snapped. His voice was suddenly very loud, ringing in Kyle’s ears. Kyle’s heart began to pound as he warily watched Cartman’s body language, wondering if he should get ready to defend himself. Cartman looked pissed. "It’s not something you even needed to know about!! What makes you think you had the right to dig around like that?! Who the fuck are you?!"

As Cartman got more in Kyle’s face, a lapse of panic overcame Kyle. He thrust his palms forward against Cartman’s chest, and at the same time lurched back, and he lost his balance, stumbling.

Before he knew it his head was spinning, and Kyle felt weightless, his arms dangling. As he came back to his senses he realized Cartman’s arms were locked around his torso, stopping him from falling over the edge of the patio.

Kyle trembled unintentionally, seeing Cartman’s face so close to his, with his arms so solidly locked around him. He felt so vulnerable like this, and that vulnerability was crushing down on him. They held still like that for a while, staring at each other. To Kyle’s relief, he could practically see the anger seeping out of Cartman, the intensity leaving his eyes.

"Jesus, how drunk are you?" Cartman asked, his voice quiet and soft. Kyle looked away, feeling an immense amount of shame for letting Cartman see him like this. He hated looking vulnerable in front of Cartman. He was supposed to never show him even a glimpse of it.   
Kyle propped his feet against the ground, trying to regain his balance. Cartman’s arms loosened around him, but grasped back on when Kyle stumbled again. Kyle realized that he was still uneasy from both the anxiety he was feeling and his drunkenness, and he wouldn’t be able to support a standing position if he tried.

Holy shit, this was embarrassing. Kyle gazed shamefully at Cartman, hardly able to keep eye contact with him. This was a good experience to discourage Kyle from drinking again.

Cartman eventually dragged Kyle back to the bench, sitting him down.

Cartman sat down next to him, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Perfect. Everyone’s drunk off their ass.”

"…Sorry." Kyle mumbled, slouching over his knees on the bench.

"Yeah well it’s a good thing I decided not to drink. You probably would’ve had some nasty scrapes if didn’t catch you in time." Cartman huffed.

"…I meant about being nosy."

Cartman turned his head to Kyle, seeing Kyle was still staring at the ground. He leaned away from Kyle, scratching the back of his neck.   
He let the silence drag on for a little while, then Cartman let out an exasperated sigh. “You want to know why I stopped doing that?”

Kyle looked up at Cartman from his slouching position. He watched Cartman’s feet kick forward in agitation.

"It made me feel like my mom. Something people just practiced on. A worthless, used whore. That’s why I didn’t want you knowing, okay?"   
Kyle felt himself cringe when Cartman referred to his Mom so harshly.

"Cartman, that’s your mom."

"Yeah, and I don’t want to be like her." Cartman said, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "She’s always sleeping with somebody. She’s getting ‘action’, but she’s still alone. Nobody actually cares about her. They all just use her and leave. When I did that with Kenny, I figured that’s how she felt…"

Cartman’s breath hitched in his throat, and he paused. He didn’t seem to want to continue. Kyle watched Cartman swallow hard and ball his hands into fists. Kyle sat up, gingerly placing his hand on Cartman’s shoulder for emotional support.

Kyle hadn’t really considered that Cartman was ashamed of his own mother. It wasn’t a concept Kyle was familiar with. It couldn’t have been easy, having the only caretaker in his life ridiculed by the entire town. Kyle’s parents had always been role models for him, helped him understand wrong from right from the examples they set. But Cartman had no role models. What his mother was to him was an example of what not to turn into.

"…I don’t have those freakouts anymore, y’know." Cartman murmured. "So don’t think you have to worry about.. fixing me or whatever."

Kyle found himself at a loss for words. He’d always considered himself to be a good speaker, but he really couldn’t figure out what to say now. He knew Cartman had been embarrassed, and he couldn’t really blame him. He wasn’t sure how to really help him.

Cartman didn’t have emotional breakdowns anymore… Kyle wondered if that was true. If Cartman freaked out on him, Kyle wondered if he could handle it. He hadn’t really seen Cartman freak out too many times. The more he thought about it, the more he thought about what Kenny said. Cartman needed someone to care about. If that in itself helped Cartman, Kyle figured he was doing a good job of comforting him already.  
Kyle reached down, his hand gently grasping at Cartman’s wrist. “Gimme your hand,” He said softly.

Cartman stared at Kyle confused, who stared back at him expectantly. The sudden command caught him off guard, made him feel nervous. Cartman looked down at Kyle’s hand on his wrist. Kyle was asking to hold his hand. For a moment he felt like it was a joke. Reluctantly, he shifted his arm and offered his hand to Kyle.

Kyle’s hand found Cartman’s again, his fingers splaying on Cartman’s larger hand. Kyle slid his fingers between Cartman’s, leaning his body against Cartman’s and snuggling his head against Cartman’s shoulder. Cartman kept his gaze on Kyle’s hand in his. He could feel Kyle’s pulse in his hand, feel the life inside of him. For whatever reason, this simple gesture seemed to be so powerful.

Like Kyle was telling Cartman he was there. He was alive. Another living being, touching him, holding him.

And that meant that he wasn’t alone.

Cartman smiled down at the hand in his, curling his fingers and

intertwining them with Kyle’s. Kyle gave Cartman’s hand a light squeeze, smiling up at him. Cartman took in a shivery breath, seeing that cute smile of Kyle’s, and he couldn’t help but smile back.

"This is so gay," Cartman said softly.

"Shh."

Cartman complied, letting a comforting silence ensue. He lowered his head to Kyle and nuzzling into his soft, curly hair.

They could live in this moment right now. Just sitting here, holding each other’s hands, doing nothing but being connected.

Cartman figured he should feel a little scared, having opened up to someone, having let them in. Kyle figured he should feel a little pressured, getting deeper into a relationship, getting more invested, with Cartman of all people. But none of that seemed to matter for the moment. 

For the moment, there was nothing to worry about. Nothing else mattered but the hand they held. 


	10. Doubt

"Okay, that’s everyone," Cartman huffed, pushing Stan into the backseat of his car. As it turned out Cartman would have to drive since Kenny, Stan and Kyle were drunk and Butters didn’t know how to drive. "Jesus, it felt like I was rounding up dumb cattle finding you shitheads."

"Hey, can I sit in the front?" Butters asked as Kyle was about to step into the car. "I kinda don’t want the drunk smell on me. My parents’ll gimme hell if they think I was drinking."

"Oh uh, I guess," Kyle slurred slightly. He slipped into the backseat with his other two friends.

They’d stayed at the party for a while, it was about midnight now as they headed home. It was a good thing Kyle said he was staying over at Stan’s house. The last thing he wanted was to come home at night smelling like alcohol, having his parents try to pry guilt out of him.

Cartman quickly started up the car once everyone was in. He would have to drop off Butters first, then Kenny, then go to Stan’s and walk home. What a pain in the ass.

But the drive home was soothing despite that. Probably because of what had happened with him and Kyle. Cartman felt like after that, he’d become much closer with Kyle. A closeness that he could never achieve before, but now it was happening. The idea of that filled Cartman with a satisfying warmth.

He kept his eyes on the road, but in the corner of his eye he could see Butters slumped over, his cheek pressing against the window of the passenger’s seat.

"What’s wrong with you?" Cartman asked flatly, trying to not sound too interested.

"Oh nothing, Eric. Just that Christine wasn’t too interested in dating me." Butters sighed softly, not bothering to look at Cartman.

Cartman looked over Butters appearance; he was taller now, but he had the same messy hair and plain clothing, the same Butters he always knew. From what Cartman remembered Christine was a typical hotty. He wouldn’t be surprised if the girl thought she could do much better than Butters.

" ‘She say why?" Cartman decided to bite anyway.

"She said I wasn’t her type." Butters murmured. "She said not to take it personally."

Cartman huffed out a laugh. “If you’re not her type then doesn’t that mean she doesn’t like something about you? Sounds like something to be taken personally. Hate when chicks say that shit.”

"What is it, Eric? What don’t I have that other guys have? Stan and Kenny have girlfriends, but I can’t seem to find one."

Apparently Stan was listening, because he now slumped forward to talk to Butters. “Butters, man, you just gotta be loose okay? Girls like it when you’re loof.”

"Loof?"

"Aloof," Kyle corrected for Stan. "He’s saying you have to act chilled out." 

"Oh… I have to just act like I don’t care about nothing?" Butters murmured.

Cartman’s burst of laughter made Butters jump. Cartman quickly tried to calm himself a bit; he didn’t want to go into a laughing fit while he was driving. “Can you imagine an ‘aloof’ Butters? God, even thinking about it feels impossible! Hahaha!”

Stan laughed lightly, then pawed at Butters shoulder drunkenly. He was trying to give a gesture of comfort, but he wasn’t sure if it was working well enough or not. “Cheer up Butters, you’ll find someone out there.”   
"Yeah, if an asshole like Cartman can get laid then anyone can," Kenny snickered.

Cartman tensed up very noticeably when Kenny’s words registered. He hoped the information would just sail over Butters’ head. From the way Butters’ mouth hung open, Cartman guessed not.

"You had sex, Eric?!" Butters exclaimed, wide-eyed. Cartman shrunk back into his seat, forcing himself not to look back at Kyle, though he was curious what kind of expression he held. Fucking Kenny. It seemed like he couldn’t keep his mouth shut about anything lately. But thankfully Kenny left out specifics, and now Butters was probably sitting here thinking Cartman banged a girl. Cartman forced himself to regain composure, huffing out a laugh.

"Duh, I get laid all the time, stupid." Cartman smirked. It was a lie he usually told people, but as of a couple weeks ago it wasn’t really a lie anymore. Butters seemed to believe it more now, now that Kenny was saying it too.

"How’d you do it?!" Butters eagerly asked, his eyes completely engaged on Cartman now.

"How? I took my dick and I stuck it in between a pair of legs, that’s how." Cartman laughed. His grin grew wider because he could hear Kyle scoff from the backseat.

"Yeah but, how’d you convince them to let you do it?"   
"…Huh," Cartman’s voice sounded genuinely curious himself. Kyle was the only person he’d ever touched, and it didn’t feel like either of them had seen it coming.

Cartman’s original intention, back then in his room with Kyle, was to piss Kyle off. He only got lucky that Kyle seemed to want it. That probably wouldn’t work as well with anyone else. Cartman found himself laughing lightly.

"It just happened, I guess." He decided on.

"Aw come on, Eric…"

"Seriously, I just got lucky." Cartman insisted. "And anyway Butters, not everyone’s gonna be seduced the same way. Your best bet is getting to know them and figuring it out from there."

These words were more to detract from the specific scenario of how he ‘seduced’ Kyle, but upon saying it he found the advice pretty sound. Butters seemed to appreciate it too, saying he felt silly for not considering that himself. It was common sense, wasn’t it?

On the drive home Cartman tuned everything else out. Now that he thought about it, it was kind of strange that Kyle so readily accepted Cartman’s advances. Kyle had always come off as high maintenance to Cartman. A few weeks ago Cartman wouldn’t have even considered approaching Kyle in that matter. Or in any matter. But in theory, when he thought about how he might go about letting Kyle know how he felt, Cartman thought it would be the most embarrassing and difficult thing to do.

In theory there wasn’t a single approach that Cartman could make that Kyle would possibly accept. Yet a couple of weeks ago, it happened. Kyle let it happen so easily, all of it. And that was so mind boggling. What he did was pretty much harassment.

Cartman expected to be punched. He should have been punched. But it turned out that Kyle liked it, and he kept liking it, and he still hasn’t regretted it.

All this time, Cartman had been so thrilled that he didn’t bother to think about why. Now the question was there again. Now Cartman wondered, half-considering the idea that Kyle might have thought about it before. Thought about doing things with Cartman even before all this. Maybe for all those years they fought, Kyle had started developing a desire for him, the same way Cartman had for Kyle.

The idea of it was so jarring to Cartman. For Kyle to develop those kind of feelings for him was difficult to wrap his head around. Cartman sighed, reserving himself to the idea that he just got lucky.

If someone like Cartman got Kyle so easily… maybe Kyle could’ve fallen for anyone.

____

"You should just stay over at my house." Cartman said as he stepped out of the car, Stan and Kyle following. Kenny and Butters had been dropped off at their houses, so it just left the three of them. The night was only dimly lit by the porch light on Stan’s doorstep, but it was still possible to make out facial expressions.

"I can’t," Kyle sighed, turning to face Cartman. "My mom has a habit of checking up on me in the morning. I told her I’d be with Stan so She’s gonna call Stan’s house and see if I’m there."

"Ugh, that’s lame."

"It’s fine. I’ll come over tomorrow anyway." Kyle assured Cartman, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

To Kyle’s surprise Cartman took advantage of this contact, pulling him forward until they were kissing. Kyle could feel himself hesitate knowing Stan was right behind them. He allowed the kiss, splaying his hands on Cartman’s shoulders.

Their lips parted, and Cartman nuzzled the crook of Kyle’s neck, stroking his back. Kyle’s face warmed in reaction. It was a bit strange that Cartman had suddenly decided to be this openly affectionate, but no one was around except Stan anyway.

"Night," Cartman said, pulling away.

"Yeah," Kyle murmured. Cartman’s face wasn’t clear because of the dim lighting, but Kyle smiled regardless.

Cartman took his leave without another word. Kyle turned to Stan, who held a blank expression on his face. Kyle shrugged and gestured for him to open the door, and they stepped inside.

"I’ll get us some water," Kyle yawned, stretching his arms out. His buzz had pretty much worn all the way off at this point, but he doubted Stan was half as sober.

"Okay." Stan muttered, shutting the front door. Kyle noticed Stan looked a bit listless, his eyebrows furrowed like he was concentrating on something.

After a little back and forth up in Stan’s room Kyle decided Stan’s grumpiness was annoying him.

"What’s with you, Stan?" He asked. "Are you usually this irritable when you get drunk?"  
Stan scoffed, shaking his head. “Cartman just pissed me off a little.”

Kyle frowned now. He hoped Stan wasn’t talking about the kissing.

Admittedly it was a bit odd for Cartman to do that in front of anyone but the thought of Stan becoming upset about it was irksome. “How did Cartman piss you off?”

"That big show he made of kissing and hugging you," Stan started. Kyle felt a twinge of agitation as soon as Stan confirmed such a thing.

"He’s my boyfriend, Stan." Kyle cutted in.

"Let me finish. Jesus Christ." Stan grunted, taking a drink of his glass of water. "The problem wasn’t that he hugged you, or that he kissed you. The problem is when he hugged you he looked right at me while doing it."

The movement of Kyle’s glass to his mouth staggered as he looked up at Stan. Stan waited for Kyle to say something, but he just sat there, waiting for Stan to say more.

"The way he held you, it was like he was claiming you. And he looked directly at me like he was telling me specifically that you were his or something." Stan explained.

Kyle sighed. The idea of Cartman being possessive wasn’t too surprising to Kyle, really. He’d already done it towards Heidi. And well, maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised that Cartman felt threatened by Stan. Stan and Kyle had always been really close, and open about how great a friendship they had. But it’s not like Stan was an actual threat to their relationship. He was straight, and even if he was bi, Kyle would never want to stand between him and Wendy. They had a great and admirable relationship.   
  
Maybe one day he might have one like that Stan and Wendy’s.   
"Kyle, are you not bothered by this?" Stan barked when Kyle started smiling to himself.

"Huh?" Kyle blurted, blinking himself back to the present.

"Dude, Cartman’s getting jealous. Of me being your friend. Doesn’t that make you worried at all?" Stan growled, becoming frustrated with reiterating his concern.

Kyle shrugged. “Not really. I get jealous too.”

"Of your boyfriend having friends?" Stan emphasized. Kyle rolled his eyes, leaning back against the headboard of Stan’s bed.

"Remember that time I decided to sit in Cartman’s lap after I had that argument with him?"

Stan looked confusedly at Kyle. “Yeah. Why?”

"I did that right after he came back smiling with Kenny. And I make a big display of hugging and sitting in his lap to, you know, ‘claim him.’ " Kyle gestured quotations. "We both get jealous, Stan."

Stan quirked an eyebrow at Kyle. It was obvious he’d been weirded out by Kyle’s implied need to claim Cartman.

It was kind of tiresome; every time he talked with Stan lately, the topic of Kyle’s new relationship came up one way or another. And each time Stan slipped in a comment about how it bothered him or how it surprised him.

"There’s a big difference between you being jealous and Cartman being jealous." Stan asserted. He placed his glass down on the nightstand and lied on his back, looking irritated.

"Yeah? What’s that?" Kyle bit, but he could probably guess.

"Uh, his criminal record?"

"Dude, Cartman’s not gonna go after you. Even if he tried you’d beat the crap out of him." Kyle laughed, noting Stan’s slight muscle definition that had shown up over the years. The last guy Stan had fought got knocked out so fast it was disappointing to everyone watching, and Kyle was sure Cartman knew better than to fuck with Stan.

"So what, he probably still has that handgun he used to carry around when we were little."

Kyle sighed. “Do you seriously think he’s gonna do something?”

"Eventually, yeah." Stan answered, "Do you seriously think Cartman being violent is out of the question?"

"Stan if you’re really that worried about it, I’ll talk to him tomorrow." Kyle groaned. "Let’s go to bed."

Kyle quickly slipped under the covers. Stan was still giving him an apprehensive stare, but eventually he turned off the light and crawled into the bed as well. Sleeping in the same bed was a habit they had since they were kids, and they didn’t really feel the need to break the habit whenever one of them would sleep over. No one exactly wanted to sleep on the floor.

Kyle sighed, closing his eyes and sinking his head into the pillow. He let his thoughts linger. Stan wanted to invoke more of a reaction from Kyle with the whole possessiveness thing. They had multiple conversations like this one. Stan told Kyle that Cartman was probably the type to be obsessive, and that it would backfire on their relationship pretty soon. Another theory that Stan had was that this was all an elaborate plan to make Kyle look like an idiot. Stan had come up with plenty of ideas to try to get Kyle to reconsider his relationship with Cartman.

The thought was enraging, but Kyle had dealt with enough to examine it calmly at this point. Giving it rational thought he couldn’t blame Stan for being worried about him. Stan had always been protective of Kyle, even since they were kids. It was kind of annoying lately, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

He definitely couldn’t blame Stan for thinking that way of Cartman. Whether it was trying to fool Kyle, or something like that. Cartman had a reputation for going to great lengths just to trick Kyle and get a 2 second moment of satisfaction out of it. But there was no way that could be what Cartman was doing this time.

There was no way Cartman was having a full-fledged relationship with Kyle just to make him look like an idiot. All the sex, the kissing, the smiles. It was all so real.

So convincing.

…

Kyle’s eyes blinked open, and he found himself staring into the blackness above him.

There was no way, right? Cartman wasn’t just fucking with him. His feelings were real. …They had to be real.

  
___________________________________

  
"There you are, Eric!" Liane chimed when she saw her son walk through the door. "Did you drink responsibly?"

"Yeah," Cartman sighed. He didn’t drink at all, but he didn’t feel like bothering for the praise. Waste of time and breath.

"Come into the dining room sweety, I made you a cookie cake." Liane said, urging Cartman into the dining room with her hands at his shoulders.

Cartman didn’t bother asking why his Mom made this for him. It was just something she did sometimes. It didn’t happen as often as it did when Cartman was younger, so it did take him a bit by surprise, and set him a little on edge.

For good reason, it seemed, because as soon as he started eating, Liane sat across the table from him with an intent look in her eye.  
"Eric, do you remember when I said I wanted to talk to you about something?"

"Mmph."

"I saw you’ve been using a lot of your condoms. And well, I’ve been meaning to ask, how many partners do you have?"

Cartman choked on the food he was eating in surprise. He spluttered, coughing violently for a few seconds before swallowing correctly and clearing his throat. “What?! What do you mean how many partners?”

Liane sat silent, waiting for an answer. Cartman frowned at her. She wanted to specify if he had multiple sex partners? It was strange but Cartman couldn’t help but feel insulted by the proposition.

"One, Mom." He answered sharply.

"Oh, and it’s been the same girl all the way through?" Liane continued.  
"Duh. Why do you want to know anyway?"

"Well…" Liane paused. "If it’s the same girl, it sounds like it might turn into a relationship."

"It _is_  a relationship, Mom.”

Liane took a hand to her chest, looking concerned. “Oh my…”

"What?" Cartman had become incredibly confused by the disheartened expression on his mother’s face.

"Well, I don’t know if a relationship is the best thing for you, Eric." Liane said, softly.

The fork in Cartman’s hand laid loosely against his fingers, threatening to slip free as he stared at his Mother. “What are you talking about?” Cartman’s tone was low and flat.

"I just think it might be better if you don’t get attached to the whole idea of a partner, sweety." Liane explained, "I know it’s not a popular opinion, but it’s much harder to get hurt if you’re not attached to your sexual partners."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Cartman snapped, " You’re ok with me having sex, but not loving the person I fuck? What, you want me to continue the family business Mom?" He’d pushed the plate of food away, suddenly not feeling like eating. 

"It’s not like that, honey. I just don’t think you’re ready for something like love yet." Liane replied. "I don’t want you to get your heart broken."

Cartman gawked for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. “Okay, who’s putting you up to this?”

"What?"

"It’s Stan isn’t it?!" Cartman pryed. "He paid you or something and asked you to act all concerned about me, to get me all paranoid that I’m gonna get hurt in this relationship! That asshole!"

"Eric, I really am just concerned for your—"

"Bullshit!!" Cartman snarled, slamming his fists against the table. "You never do this! We never have talks about my fucking well being!! You’re a horrible actor and a shitty Mom for taking payment to go against your son!!"

While Liane was rendered speechless Cartman took the opportunity to kick out of his seat and storm out of the kitchen.

"Eric, wait!"

"No! This is bullshit! I’m actually happy for once and everyone acts like it’s the worst thing in the world!" Cartman shouted as he stomped up the stairs. "Well guess what?! I’m staying with him and if you don’t like it you can kiss my ass!!"

Cartman slammed his door, locking himself inside his room. He’d at this point acknowledged that he said he was staying with ‘him’ instead of ‘her,’ but right now he didn’t really care. His Mom was being a bitch and he didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

He stuck earbuds into his ears and blasted music, readily ignoring his Mom’s incessant knocking.

She didn’t knock long anyway. It’d take too much effort for her to be persistent.

Cartman resisted the urge to grit his teeth. That stuff she was saying was just something someone else asked her to say, and Cartman had to figure out who it was. His first guess was Stan, but Kenny and Wendy were also possible suspects. Those three knew; it could easily be any of them.

**Saturday, 11:00 AM**

Despite it being so early in the day, Kyle gave into urge to go over to Cartman’s house. From what Cartman told him about Liane’s schedule, she should still be out working for another 30 minutes at this time of the morning. Kyle had to hurry before she got home. He had to see him, even if it was only for a little bit.

After lying awake for an hour or two at Stan’s house he might’ve done a bit too much overthinking. If it was even remotely possible that Cartman was just doing this for an elaborate joke then Kyle had to get to the bottom of it.

The two factors that strengthened his doubt: One, Cartman hadn’t really expressed himself or pressed to deepen their relationship, and two, Cartman was really reluctant to bottom.

It was still a difficult process to get Cartman to let Kyle fuck him, and the only reason Kyle seemed to link with it was that Cartman enjoyed having power over Kyle. Being a sadist that probably meant that Cartman’s feelings didn’t enter into his arousal at all. He could just be doing it for the dominance. He felt angry and embarrassed just thinking about it that way.

The thought that Cartman might be trying to pull some elaborate trick on him was very disturbing to him. But there was a lot that told him what Cartman felt for him was real. His expressions, the softness of his voice, his jealousy. ….But he might have done all that just to be convincing.   
Kyle could feel his thoughts clash again and again as he walked.Arguing with himself on whether or not it was possible that he’d just been pranked for the past few weeks. His chest clenched when he thought about what that meant, and his eyes felt heavy with the threat of tears. Kyle came up to the doorstep now, taking a deep breath.

He had to see him again. He had to touch him, feel him, see his face. He had to remind himself that it was real.

After a knock on the door Kyle was met with Liane facing him, which caught him off guard since he expected her to be gone. Maybe she came home early. Kyle felt himself falter. He’d have to be careful with her around. He didn’t want to risk getting caught.

"Oh Kyle," Liane said softly. Her voice sounded weak with fatigue. "Thank goodness you came over." 

"Huh?" Kyle took the moment to notice that Liane looked very tired. Her hair was a bit untidy and her lower eyelids were shaded red. Like she’d stayed up all night.

"I can’t get Eric to come out of his room. I told him his pancakes are gonna get cold, but he said he doesn’t care. He’s been in there since last night." Liane explained worriedly.

Kyle frowned. Something must have been wrong if Cartman refused to eat. He hesitated, stepping up the stairs, sincerely hoping, begging to God that Cartman wouldn’t be reclusive toward him. As selfish as it sounded Kyle really needed Cartman to be open right now. But he shook it off, ready to try to be there for Cartman with whatever issue he was having.

"Hey Cartman?" Kyle said against Cartman’s door. "It’s Kyle,"

Before Kyle knew it the door was open and he was being pulled into the room. He released a gasp of surprise, but was easily quieted with the feeling of Cartman arms around him.

Warmth rushed to Kyle’s chest; relief and happiness. He still didn’t know what was going on but at least Cartman wasn’t acting distant.

"Hey," Kyle said softly, returning the hug. Cartman squeezed lightly against Kyle, then pulling back to meet his gaze.

"My mom didn’t tell you to come over did she?" Cartman asked, looking somewhat nervous. If anyone was instructing Liane to discourage Cartman they might’ve mentioned that he was with Kyle.

Kyle shook his head. “What’s going on anyway? She said you turned down pancakes.”

Kyle couldn’t help smirking teasingly, and Cartman swatted at his arm for it. He then sighed. “She just pissed me off. Her usual bullshit.”

Kyle caught this as an obvious lie. Cartman had seemed oddly relieved to see Kyle. That worried him, thinking more about it. Cartman pulled Kyle close again, but this time only gripped Kyle’s hands in his.

"I need to shower and stuff," Cartman said, acknowledging that he’d been locked up in his room for way too long. He looked toward the door, turning back to Kyle. "Are you staying?"

Kyle blinked, then nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, I will.” He figured that’s what Cartman wanted, or needed. But now he was achingly curious as to what was going on. Cartman then headed out of his room and into the bathroom.

After a few minutes of lounging around in Cartman’s room, Kyle’s curiosity got the best of him. He figured Cartman didn’t want him to talk to Liane, but fuck it, Kyle was gonna find out what was bothering Cartman, and it wasn’t like Liane to be malicious anyway. Cartman was probably overreacting.

As soon as Liane caught sight of Kyle she stood up from the couch. “Oh, did he come out?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah. What was the problem anyway?”

"Well…" Liane murmured. Kyle came to sit with Liane on the couch before she continued. It seemed to make her feel a little more relaxed too. "You see, my son’s been in a relationship for a few weeks, and I’m worried he might be in love."

Kyle’s heart skipped a beat, and he ducked his face a little when he felt it heat up. The “L” word admittedly made him anxious. “Uh. Is that a bad thing?” Kyle asked.

"It’s a very bad thing." Liane sighed, her voice softening. Her eyes flickered toward the staircase, then back to Kyle. "Eric’s a little sensitive. I don’t think he’d cope well with um.. having his heart broken."

"Huh, how did he get upset? Did something happen between them or something?" Kyle asked, feeling concerned. The feeling of being in love wouldn’t make Cartman upset, at least not enough for his mother to notice. He was hoping Cartman hadn’t gotten paranoid about Stan to the point of freaking out last night or anything like that.

"Oh, well, you see, last night I tried to talk to him about it." Liane explained. "I told him that being attached to his sexual partners was dangerous. That sort of made him angry, and he locked himself in his room and said he was staying with — her — and he didn’t care what I thought."

"Geez," Kyle murmured, a faint flutter in his stomach. He knew that Cartman had the tendency to be dramatic but he could’ve taken it a little better. Or maybe he just felt that strongly about it? .. Knowing Cartman it was probably the former. But it was good to know that he didn’t agree with his Mom. Not being attached to a sexual partner… it sounded practical, but it was fucked up. He was glad Cartman thought so enough to get pissed. But he still felt sorry for Liane. "Well I don’t think you’ll have to worry about your son. He’s not that sensitive. Even if she did something to break his heart I’m sure he can handle it well enough."

Liane flashed Kyle a unsure smile, clasping her hands together in a sort of fidgety manner. “He may seem that way, but.. well…” She let herself trail off a little bit here. “He just keeps it all inside around his friends. He’s hurt very easily. And I just know that if he sets himself up to be dumped this way, it’s going to completely ruin him.”

What a mess. Liane had been kept up because she’d been worried so much about her son not heeding her warning, and probably upset that he was pissed at her. And Cartman got pissed off because he took it badly… Well. Personally Kyle would have too, but still. He was starting to see the resemblance between the two, they were both sort of needy and probably a bit paranoid. It was kind of sad to think that Cartman resented this woman that cared so deeply about him.

"Well, maybe he won’t be dumped," Kyle remarked hesitantly. "Maybe he’s in love with someone who really cares about him."

Liane’s blank gaze made Kyle a bit uncomfortable. Kyle couldn’t help but wonder if Liane understood that he was talking about himself. Then she shook her head.

"I don’t think he’ll meet anybody like that in highschool, Kyle. Not Eric."  
And Kyle admitted Liane had a good point. Most teenagers he knew wouldn’t be serious about Eric even if they did date him. Most teenagers weren’t serious about dating general. But Kyle considered himself to not be like most teenagers.

Kyle considered reassuring Liane but he really didn’t want to risk giving more hints that he was the one dating Cartman.

"You look tired, Ms. Cartman." He said softly.

Liane gave a silent nod. “I need to make sure Eric isn’t making the wrong choices.”

"Well, he’s out of his room now, taking a shower. You get some rest. I’ll talk to him, okay?" Kyle cooed, giving Liane a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Oh thank you. You always were a sweet boy, Kyle." Liane smiled, standing up and heading towards her room. "Oh, and make sure Eric eats breakfast, okay?"

"Sure," Kyle replied, not entirely sure why that was a cause for concern. Of course Eric was gonna eat.

He listened for Liane to shut her door and waited, figuring she’d be pretty knocked out soon. After that, he went back to sit in his spot in Cartman’s room.

A few minutes later Cartman came in, a towel draped around his waist.   
"You talked to my mom, didn’t you?" Cartman said as soon as he noticed Kyle was in the room. He briskly walked over to the drawer and faced his back to Kyle as he pulled out clean clothes to wear.

"Yeah. She’s asleep now, though. And she said she wants you to eat breakfast." Kyle added.

Cartman frowned as he slipped on boxers and pants. “What the fuck, why?”

"Well, you’re not supposed to skip breakfast." Kyle joked lamely. His eyes blankly trailed up Cartman’s torso. There was something so appealing about his naked shoulders. And overall his skin looked surprisingly smooth. Kyle was a bit shocked at how badly he wanted to touch it, but he shook off the thought. He felt a bit disappointed when Cartman slipped a shirt on.

"What else did she say?"

Kyle shrugged. “She just told me what happened last night. She didn’t want you to have a relationship and you got pissed off.”

"Yeah. She’s ok if I just fuck around but if I want to care about someone then suddenly it’s not okay. Well fuck that. I’m not gonna be a slut like her." Cartman spat, shoving his dresser drawer shut.

"I don’t think that’s what she meant, dude. She just thinks you’re a little young to be going through… complex emotions like love." Kyle’s voice softened at the end.

"Like she knows anything about love." Cartman snorted bitterly.  
Kyle frowned. “She loves you, Cartman.”

"It’s her job to love me."

"Cartman,"

"Whatever Kahl. I’m over it. Why’re you here so early anyway? Weren’t you sleeping over at Stan’s?"

The way Cartman changed the subject so suddenly made anger seep into Kyle, but he decided to ignore it. It’s not like he agreed with Liane anyway. Besides that, he was more sucked in by Cartman’s question. The reason Kyle had come over was to ease his nerves.

Stan had successfully riled Kyle up with the idea of Cartman pulling some kind of ultimate prank on him. He figured seeing Cartman again would allow him to confirm that he had nothing to worry about. And so far it was working. Kyle just hoped that it wasn’t just working because he wanted it to.

As a means of answering Cartman’s question, Kyle walked up to Cartman, hooking his arms over Cartman’s shoulders and pulling him into a kiss. He felt Cartman make a small silent gasp beneath his lips, but then he was kissing too, running his fingers against the back of Kyle’s neck.

"Damn," Cartman said when their lips parted, "Are you that horny that you just ditched Stan to come see me?"

Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed lightly and he gave an effortless roll of his eyes. “More like I missed you, asswipe.”

"We literally just saw each other a few hours ago."

"Yet you still hugged the shit outta me when I knocked on your door." Kyle retorted, quirking an eyebrow.

Cartman shrugged, sauntering over to his bed. Kyle couldn’t help his smile; he caught a glimpse of a light shade of pink across Cartman’s cheeks. He followed Cartman onto the bed, taking the spot next to him and leaning against Cartman’s shoulder.

"I wanted to talk to you about Stan, too." Kyle decided to mention. It would probably be better to talk about it while Cartman was in a decent mood. He felt Cartman bristle lightly, which he found a bit strange.

"What about?" Cartman asked hesitantly. Cartman was still thinking about the possibility that Stan might have talked to his Mom.

"Uh, he’s like… worried you might be jealous of how close he is to me. He like thinks you’re gonna try to injure him or something. And… you’re not, right?" Kyle asked. He tried to not sound nervous. He tried to put a more authoritative edge on his tone for good measure, but he wasn’t entirely sure if it went through.

Cartman looked confused. “Why the hell would I do that?”

"Uh." Kyle said simply, though his expression read as ‘Seriously?’

Cartman scoffed as if he was offended. “Even if I wanted to. It’s not worth the amount of effort I’d have to put into not getting caught. I don’t get anything from hurting Stan either. Except a pissed off boyfriend. It’d be a stupid idea.”

"Glad you’re finally thinking about things before you do them." Kyle deadpanned.

"Yeah well it turns out that when you get older you can’t get away with as much as you could when you were a cute little kid." Cartman shrugged.

"So your main concern is not getting caught, but you’re still the same sadistic bastard." Kyle sighed. "Is that what you’re saying?"

Cartman smiled innocently at Kyle now, and Kyle could feel irritation build in the pit of his stomach; a knee-jerk reaction at this point. Cartman nuzzled his head against Kyle’s arm, looking over at him endearingly.”I’m not bored enough to do much scheming anymore. I’m putting all my energy into making sweet love to you these days.” Kyle both loved and hated how Cartman could practically say a word and suddenly Kyle was ready to kiss him all over. He fought the feeling, hoping Cartman didn’t know how skilled he was at pushing Kyle’s buttons.

"Sweet love, huh." Kyle echoed skeptically, though a smile was on his face. "Pretty sure asking me how hard I like being fucked isn’t part of making sweet love."

Cartman moved to brush his lips against Kyle’s neck. “That’s the best part of making sweet love. Don’t act like you don’t love it. It turns you on so much when I talk to you like that.” Cartman taunted, his breath tickling Kyle’s skin.

Kyle fought a surge of pleasure, doing everything in his power to withhold a moan. It came out as a gasp, choppy and arid, and Kyle had suddenly remembered how fucking good it sounded when Cartman used this voice. The silky smooth tone where every word translated to ‘I want you,’ but better articulated. Cartman grazed his teeth against Kyle’s neck.

"Yeah?" Cartman breathed, and Kyle knew Cartman heard his aroused gasp. Cartman’s voice was low and rough; just from that Kyle felt heat rushing to his groin, his jeans tightening.

The concern of Cartman fooling him still prodded at Kyle’s thoughts, albeit hardly, and he decided that he could keep that idea at bay. His mind was too flooded with lust for him to be paranoid at this point.   
Their lips and torsos met instantaneously, rubbing up against each other and panting between short feverish kisses. It was strange how a single day without touching each other worked them up so easily, as if it had been a week instead of a day. It certainly felt that way, with how long the night and morning had been.

Kyle hesitated as Cartman’s body pressed against his; signalling that Cartman wanted to lie him down. Kyle grabbed at Cartman’s wrist, and Cartman’s movement halted, and he pulled back to look questioningly at Kyle.

"Your Mom’s home," Kyle reminded breathily. Cartman shrugged.  
"She’s a deep sleeper. We’ll be fine, so long as you don’t moan too loudly." He teased lustfully, swiping his thumb against Kyle’s lip. Kyle let out a light laugh, then smirking.

Cartman then yelped and in an instant Kyle had pounced on him and pinned him to the bed.

"Uh," Cartman blurted when he regained his breath, taking in the sight of Kyle hovering over him smugly. It was a new, mesmerizing sight. Kyle’s hands found Cartman’s and locked hands with him, his lips meeting Cartman’s again as he held him down.

"It’s been a while since I topped," Kyle murmured against Cartman’s lips. He wasn’t usually assertive when it came to topping, but this time it was a reminder to him that Cartman wasn’t just all about dominating Kyle, he was actually attracted to him. So this time he was diving in, feeling a bit aggressive from the thought. He felt dominant despite himself.

Whenever Kyle reminded Cartman it was his turn, Kyle was usually answered with some sort of defiance. Only vocally, but still there. But this time Cartman remained silent, pushing his hips up against Kyle. It caught Kyle off guard, and he thought Cartman might push him off. Instead Kyle was met with a growing firmness pressing against his thigh.

He was harder than Kyle expected him to be from just this. Kyle smirked and fully straddled Cartman, meeting Cartman’s hardness with his own. Leaning down he engaged their lips again, dragging his erection against the other while they exchanged slow, sensual kisses.

If he worked him over enough, maybe Cartman wouldn’t be disconnected as he usually was during this and afterward. Kyle’s fucking was usually rough and not that controlled, getting caught up in the feel of being inside Cartman. So this time he was going to try something new; he was now intent on focusing on Cartman’s pleasure. Making sure Cartman was as turned on as possible —without needing to be dominant over Kyle.

Kyle rolled his hips against Cartman, arching into it a bit. In response Cartman pressed tighter to Kyle, giving a light moan against Kyle’s mouth. Kyle felt excited and anxious; being in control like this after the way the past few days had been felt especially good. He continued grinding, maintaining a steady pace. He could feel from the way Cartman tensed against him that he wanted more.

That encouraged Kyle to tease him; to hopefully make Cartman want Kyle to fuck him.

Cartman’s arms shifted to detangle his hands from Kyle’s, but Kyle pressed his body against Cartman’s, squeezing his hands firmly and keeping him pinned.

"Let me," Kyle said softly, almost in a whisper. He himself wasn’t sure if he was asking permission or giving a command.

Either way it seemed to work, since Cartman made no further movement to break from Kyle’s grip. In a passing moment their eyes met; Cartman’s expression was unreadable. Kyle pressed his lips against Cartman’s jaw, kissing down his neck as he slowly started to pick up his pace.

Cartman gave a shivery gasp, and Kyle’s nuzzled his face against Cartman’s neck, pressing his clothed cock against Cartman’s. He made the friction tighter ever so slightly, releasing Cartman’s hands and sliding his hands down Cartman’s shoulders. He slid them down further, and when his hands slipped under Cartman’s shirt, Cartman’s whole body seemed to tense.

"Nnh, Don’t," Cartman breathed shakily, pulling back a little by his elbows. Kyle glanced up seeing Cartman’s face looked pink right now, and his eyes were cast downward. But Kyle just pulled closer, sliding his hands up Cartman’s torso and pressing against his bare skin.

"I want to touch you," Kyle said, pressing Cartman back down to the bed.   
"So just touch my dick." Cartman groaned lightly. He looked defensive and flustered, but his hands were at his sides, so he must’ve not hated it that much, Kyle decided.

"I want to touch you everywhere." Kyle emphasized as his lips met Cartman’s collarbone. He grazed his teeth against the spot. Feeling bold he mumbled, "Eric," into Cartman’s neck, the name sounding so appealing from his mouth.

Cartman seemed to think so too. Kyle felt a pronounced rise and fall of Cartman’s chest, and he seemed to give in then, letting his head fall back against the sheets. Kyle smiled to himself, splaying both his hands over Cartman’s chest under his shirt, taking in the feel of Cartman’s skin.

Cartman had felt Kyle up like this many times before, letting his hands linger on his body just to feel it. Kyle felt like he really understood why, doing it now. Touching him like this not only felt good, but knowing how his partner’s body felt was satisfying. He wondered if that’s what Cartman was doing each time, taking in the distinct feel of his partner’s body. It made his heart race as he touched Cartman’s skin, the feel of his soft, smooth skin on his fingertips.

"Fuck, you feel good…" Kyle murmured as he freed his lips, then sloppily bringing then back over Cartman’s. Cartman’s lips twitched at the sound of Kyle’s words, then kissing back, and Kyle heard a soft, light whimper from Cartman. It was a type of sound he’d never heard from him. Kyle felt something inside him rush as his body seemed to fall in love with the submissive sound. He responded by moaning into Cartman’s mouth, then pushing their hardness together more eagerly. "God, Eric…"

Kyle’s mouth was more on the edge of Cartman’s mouth now as he pulled his hands down to undo Cartman’s pants, uncovering Cartman’s cock and palming it firmly. He took it in his hand, stroking it, loving every sound Cartman made in response. Cartman closed the distance between their mouths again, their kisses wet and messy as Kyle’s hands worked, one pressing against Cartman’s chest and the other jacking him sloppily. Cartman arched his back as he felt his pleasure threatening to come to a peak, precum dripping from his cock.

"F-fuck, nnn… Kyle… not yet…" Cartman stammered out, grasping for Kyle’s arm. Kyle slowed his movement, looking questioningly at Cartman. Cartman’s pupils were dilated with arousal. "Fuck me, right now…"

The words made Kyle overflow with happiness, and it seemed to go to his erection. He quickly got up, reaching over to the nightstand and finding the lube and a condom. As he got back on the bed he saw Cartman had sat up and had his pants almost all the way off.

Kyle couldn’t help but take pride in the newly made eagerness in Cartman, but he decided against taunting him about it, for fear of ruining whatever magic he’d worked on him. He stretched the condom over his rock hard erection and lubed up his fingers.

Pulling close to Cartman again, Kyle slid his hands between his legs, squeezing lightly on his thighs as his fingers trailed towards Cartman’s entrance. Kyle saw that Cartman’s face was still red, and he brushed his lips against Cartman’s as he began to finger him. Cartman hummed a moan against his lips as he kissed back feverishly. As their tongues slid against each other, Kyle thoroughly slicked Cartman’s entrance with lube. He let his fingers linger inside, pressing further in teasingly.

"Good?" Kyle murmured softly, his voice partially muffled because his lips were still against Cartman’s. This had probably been the most kissing they’d ever done.

"Yeah," Cartman said in a light groan, pulling away slightly. Kyle slipped his fingers out and nuzzled Cartman’s neck, then pressing Cartman’s back to the bed. He ran his hands over Cartman’s body before curving his hands to Cartman’s inner thighs, spreading them apart further as he pressed his cock inside inch by inch.

Kyle watched the other’s reaction, seeing Cartman’s eyes were still away from him. Though, it didn’t seem as intentional as it had been the other times. His gaze was on the ceiling, hazed with lust. Kyle started to roll his hips while inside, maintaining an tantalizingly slow pace.

It was hell for Kyle to maintain this kind of pace. Just having his cock buried inside Cartman’s ass still felt really fucking good, and fucking him felt even better. He wanted to just go all out, but he resisted.

With one hand Kyle grasped the base of Cartman’s cock in his hand, dragging his thumb lightly against the balls. Cartman throbbed in his hand, and Kyle couldn’t help picking up his pace and groaning.

"Nnh, Eric," Kyle hissed. Cartman clenched into the sheets, gasping a moan. Unconsciously Kyle squeezed Cartman’s thigh in his hand, enjoying the thickness of it. He loosened his grasp on Eric’s cock, falling to press on Eric’s hip. "You should touch yourself," Kyle said breathily.

The words invoked a brief glance from Cartman, but he quickly obeyed, reaching down and wrapping his fingers around his pulsing erection. As he thrusted Kyle took in the sight of Cartman stroking his cock, the precum dribbling out of the tip and being slicked onto his fingers, over his shaft. He took in sight of Cartman biting down on lip, his chest heaving.

"Hnnhh, fuck yeah," Kyle growled, having become more aroused just from watching Cartman. He squeezed rhythmically on Cartman’s hips, picking up his pace. "God, I’m close…"

He felt a pleasurable jolt to his body when Cartman pushed back against him, forcing Kyle’s cock deeper into him. Kyle let out a choked off moan as he jerked his hips. His thrusts became shallow, but Cartman was still pushing him in further, keeping the tightness firm on the head of his cock. “Ah, fuck…!” Kyle hissed, panting as he came.

It didn’t take long for Cartman to follow suit, the sound of Kyle’s moans finishing him off. Cartman let his head fall against the sheets, looking completely spent. The dizzying pleasure still managed to linger.

It wasn’t long until Kyle was climbing onto him, the heat of their torsos converging as Kyle lied on top and kissed Cartman’s lips. Cartman smiled against Kyle’s lips, kissing back.

The kiss was brief and Kyle resting his head against Cartman’s collarbone as they cooled down. Kyle panted lightly, pressing his lips lazily against Cartman’s neck.

"I guess now you need another shower." Kyle joked. Cartman let out a light laugh.

"Yeah, thanks." He replied endearingly.

Kyle couldn’t help smiling too now. Cartman wasn’t acting distant this time, the way he usually did after Kyle fucked him. Something like this was just what Kyle needed to help dissolve those awful theories floating around in his head. He hugged Cartman tighter to him, feeling Cartman tense.

"Jesus…" Cartman blurted, feeling his heart race.

"What?" Kyle asked.

"The hell happened? Why are you being so… uh, nice?"

Kyle stared questioningly at Cartman. “Do I need a reason to be nice to my boyfriend?”

"No, it’s just kind of…" Cartman paused, trying to find the words. "Not how you usually act."

"I’m not usually nice to you?" Kyle asked, feeling offended.

Cartman winced. “No, agh, god dammit… You know what I mean.” Kyle said nothing, looking expectantly at Cartman. Cartman sighed, stroking his fingers through Kyle’s hair. “You were like… all hot for me and shit, and you used my name, and just now you were being all cuddly.”

Kyle sighed to himself. Admittedly that was all for his own reassurance, but he wasn’t about to let Cartman know he felt insecure about his previous.. performance, in bed. “I’ve been wanting to try using that name,” He said, deciding to be vague, steering the conversation in a controlled manner.

"That name?" Cartman repeated. "You mean my actual name."

Kyle nodded. “Does it sound weird when I say it?”

Cartman laughed. “It’s my name, Kyle. It’s not like I’m stoked about being called ‘Cartman.’”

Kyle furrowed his eyebrows, looking somewhat surprised. “Huh…” He said looking down. “I guess I’m just so used to calling you Cartman.”

"Didn’t you guys start calling me that spitefully or something?" Cartman remarked flatly.

"Maybe," Kyle murmured, then letting out a sigh. "Yeah, probably." Kyle couldn’t even remember when they started calling him Cartman. They knew each other since they were toddlers. But it’s not like they really thought of Cartman endearingly back then.

"Neither sounds weird." Cartman said, shrugging. "I don’t care if you call me Cartman or Eric."

Kyle laughed, sitting up on the bed. “But now that you gave me a choice, you’ll get your feelings hurt if I don’t call you Eric, right?”

Cartman scoffed. “What do you take me for, some kind of sniveling pussy? ‘Wahhh, Kyle’s not using my first name! He must not wuv me!’ “

Kyle swatted at Cartman’s arm, laughing a bit to himself. “Whatever. I’m gonna go rinse off.”

"Hurry up. I’m next."   
____

Kyle called up his parents to let them know where he was. He spent a good amount of his day with Cartman— or, Eric, as he was calling him now. He decided he’d only call him that when they were alone. If someone heard Kyle suddenly calling Cartman Eric they might raise an eyebrow. The two of them mostly played games, getting really competetive in the fighting games and then bickering. Eric was still a bad sport when it came to anything competitive.

Around 6 pm Kyle left Eric’s house, and on the walk home he thought about a lot of things. How their relationship had been growing, and how Eric had even slipped the word ‘love’ when referring to Kyle. ‘He must not wuv me.’ It was a bastardized version of the word, but it still held the same meaning.

It was in jest, but it still provoked feelings from Kyle. Maybe he was taking this all too seriously. It was just a word. There were feelings between him and Cartman… Eric. It didn’t matter what they wanted to call it. It was just a name for their affection.

Yet at the same time, if Eric Cartman turned around and told Kyle that he was in love, Kyle knew he would react differently. Maybe it was because thinking of Cartman being in love with anyone was such a surreal idea. Or maybe it wasn’t that Eric might love him that bothered him. It was more that if Eric ever uttered those three words, there would automatically be a pressure applied to their relationship.

Eric saying that he loved Kyle meant that he not only loved Kyle, but he wanted Kyle to know that he loved him. That he trusted Kyle with that information. That would be bizarre. That was too much.

In his mind he understood that there was a lack of trust between him and Eric. Eric didn’t trust Kyle because… well, he didn’t trust anyone apparently, and Kyle didn’t trust Eric because he was Eric Cartman.   
That lack of trust had been changing lately though. It had especially been noticeable today. He felt like he made progress with Eric in some way. Maybe the hand holding from Friday night helped. But the skepticism, the caution, it was still there. Kyle could feel it.

Maybe that was normal. Healthy even. They’d only been together for a few weeks. Maybe it was better that the two of them weren’t all over each other, wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

Hell, what was Kyle thinking. They were teenagers. Of course it was better that they were cautious. He was just over thinking things. He shoved his hands into his pockets, opening the door to his house.

Everything would be fine. Kyle just had to let everything play out naturally.

_________

**Sunday, 5:00 PM**

Now that they were hanging out with friends, Kyle made a conscious effort to call Eric ‘Cartman’ again. He’d been referring to him as ‘Eric’ for nearly the whole day yesterday, and had repeated it multiple times in his head over the span of time it took for him to get to sleep.

They were at Stan’s house again, playing Mortal Kombat, with Cartman bitching about how Kenny needed to pick a weaker character because he kept using cheap ones, and Stan being bent on the fact that fighting games had way too many sequels. After pointing out how Cartman was such a poor sport for the 100th time, Kyle’s attention was brought to the front door, hearing a knock from it.

Stan’s mom was the one to answer it, and Butters sprung through the door, looking out of breath. “Aw darnit, I’m late!” He whined.

"They’re playing Mortal Kombat," Stan informed Butters as the blond boy took a seat on the couch to watch them.

"Yeah, your sissy game’s gotta wait until we’re done." Cartman teased while he mashed buttons. Butters had said he was bringing a game to play, but with this group if you didn’t show up on time everyone else had game priority. There was no telling when Butters would be able to play his game.

"Just let him put it on, I’m tired of Mortal Kombat anyway." Kyle said. He glanced over and caught Butters staring at him, his head very slightly tilted to the side, looking mesmerized. Kyle met his stare questioningly.

"Hah, well, sorry your highness but I’m not done whooping Kenny’s ass yet." Cartman replied defiantly, starting another round.

Butters reclined against the couch, forcing his eyes away from Kyle and to the screen. Kyle could feel his stomach tighten, feeling nervous about being stared at. He suddenly wondered if he was sitting to close to Eric.

"I’m gonna get a drink." Kyle announced, getting off the couch and heading towards the kitchen. He didn’t want to look conspicuous and he felt like he might look guilty of something if he stayed there, sitting potentially too closely to Cartman and looking anxious. He leaned down to look through the fridge, the cool air hitting his face feeling refreshing.

"Hey, Kyle?" A voice said from the doorway. Kyle looked up and saw Butters standing there. Inside Kyle was the slightest feeling of nervousness. First Butters was staring at him and then he was following him, wanting to talk to him. He supposed he would know what was up soon enough. He grabbed a drink and faced Butters, eyeing him cautiously.

"Yeah? What’s up?"

Butters rubbed his knuckles against each other slightly, looking at a loss for words. Kyle waited and watched anxiously as he mustered up the words. When they came out Kyle didn’t quite understand them, and it seemed like Butters thought Kyle would. “So, is it true?” Butters said.

Kyle frowned. “Is what true?”

"W-Well, you know. The rumors." Butters answered lamely.

Kyle could feel his heart skip a beat. “Rumors about what?” He asked, trying to not sound nervous.

The next words Butters uttered sounded so painfully clear and loud in Kyle’s ears that he thought everyone could hear it.

"People are saying you and Eric are together."

In that moment Kyle’s heart hammered so intensely that it fucking hurt. He was hit with a wave of heat and nausea that overwhelmed him. His thoughts staggered, his mind going blank. He knew. This wasn’t some false alarm or misconception; Butters really knew. And he knew because other people told him. Other people knew, and they were probably passing the news around like crazy.

"Kyle? Are you okay?" Butters asked, stepping towards him.

Kyle’s attention was directed towards Butters again. “No, we’re not together.” He bit out, trying to not sound panicked. The least he could do was deny it. If it was just a rumor then all he had to do was deny it…

"Well I just wanted to let you know, Kyle. There’s these pictures going around of you and Eric sitting together and holding hands." Butters remarked.

_Fuck._

Kyle pushed through Butters, storming out of the kitchen. He needed air. He needed to think clearly, and from how he felt he might to throw up too. He rushed through the living room quickly, catching a glimpse of his three friends looking at him oddly as he scrambled past them and slammed the door. He stumbled outside, nearly tripping down the steps and hanging onto the fence when he stopped, feeling dizzy.

Kyle could feel himself shaking. He wasn’t ready to just be torn open like that. Butters knew. A lot of people knew. They saw him holding hands with Cartman. There were  _pictures_. _ **Proof.**_

He desperately tried to calm down, trying to think. It was difficult. His mind was screaming negativity, reality. Kyle had been so caught up in this new thing, this excitement, this happiness, that he stopped being careful. He let his guard down and forgotten there were things to be afraid of.

And now they’d slipped up. Kyle took in a deep breath, but the despair surged through his mind like a powerful current, relentlessly. It was out in the open, and he couldn’t contain it. It was gonna be everywhere.

Everyone would know. And now… now it wouldn’t be long until Kyle’s parents found out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you might've noticed that all these are here in bulk. That's because I've had them on my tumblr and ff for a while and just got invited here. I'll be posting it here too now. I hope you guys enjoy it. c:


	11. Scared

"What's with Kyle?" Kenny murmured, sounding concerned.

All the boys had caught the sight of Kyle storming out of the house. No one was quite sure what had just happened, but Kyle seemed frantic. And suddenly there was an air of uncertainty among the boys. After a small amount of hesitation, Cartman was on his feet and out the door. Stan turned to Butters, looking questioningly at the boy.

"What happened, Butters?" He asked. He was a little anxious to get moving. If Kyle was in a bad state, then Stan figured Cartman wouldn't be good to have around him alone.

"W-well," Butters stammered, shuffling his hands. "I guess he didn't know, but I brought up that there were rumors about him being with Eric."

Out in Stan's yard Cartman caught view of Kyle slumping over the fence, his back facing to Cartman.

"Kahl what the hell? Why'd you run out?" Cartman asked, standing a small distance away from him.

Kyle didn't turn around, but he propped himself up more on the fence. "People know, Cartman..." Kyle said softly. His voice was laced in what seemed like defeat. "People saw us at the party."

Cartman blinked in confusion. He felt an unsettling feeling building in his chest. This demeanor was very unlike Kyle. "What are you talking about? We didn't even fool around at the party." Cartman's voice sounded like he was going to let out a nervous laugh.

Kyle turned to Cartman, but his eyes were to the ground. His hands were shoved in his pockets now. "We held hands, remember? Somebody saw that." Kyle bit his bottom lip in frustration. Holding hands and cuddling wasn't something two guys just did. That was all people really needed to start talking.

"And what, everyone's just gonna take that person's word?" Cartman started to say, but then Kyle walked up to him, putting a phone screen in his face.

"People have camera phones, idiot! How are we going to deny it with a picture like this going around?!" Kyle had found the picture of them that had been going around Facebook. The looks on their faces, their body language in the picture-- it was undeniable. Anyone who saw that picture would know there was something going on between Cartman and Kyle.

Cartman took the phone in his hand. He looked at the photo in the post. There were already comments under it of people expressing their surprise. Cartman inwardly cringed. "Shit, we're tagged in it too? You gotta be fucking kidding..."

Kyle released a shivery breath, clutching his face in his fingers. "I'm totally screwed... There's no way my parents will miss it now..." He muttered frantically. He could feel himself beginning to sweat. He fully covered his face in frustration, his fingertips harsh at his forehead. "God dammit..!"

Cartman felt himself tense from seeing Kyle in this state. "..Is it really that big a deal to your parents?" He asked very hesitantly.

"Yes it's a big deal! Didn't you see how my dad reacted when he saw that magazine in my hand?!" Kyle shouted, raising his face from his hands. Cartman flinched from Kyle's sudden movement and loud voice. It was very rare for Cartman to be shown a panicked version of Kyle. The look on Kyle's face seemed like he might cry. Despite wanting to see that in his childhood, Cartman definitely didn't feel good seeing it now. Kyle balled his hands into fists. "They're gonna hate me..."

Cartman frowned worriedly at Kyle, admittedly a little puzzled. "Who cares, Kyle? Let them hate you, it's your--"

"Who cares?! I care, Cartman!" Kyle growled. His voice was a mixture of panic and rage, a strange and unsettling combination. "It must be nice having a Mom that lets you do whatever the fuck you want, but my parents breathe down my fucking neck!! They're not gonna just ignore this!!"

"What are they gonna do, ground you for being gay?"

"You don't get it, do you?!" Kyle spat, now fully glaring at Cartman. He caught in the corner of his eye Stan and Kenny standing in the doorway behind Cartman. "They're gonna look down on me now! Even if they don't punish me or try to convince me to not be gay, I'm still going to have to deal with scorn on a day to day basis! But I guess I shouldn't expect someone like you to understand!!"

Cartman was glaring at Kyle now too. "You think I don't understand being looked down on?  _Me?_ "

"Since when did it ever matter to you what people thought of you?! You don't give a shit about anything!" Kyle growled. "I'm such a fucking idiot, how could I think we could get away with this?! Why did I think  _you_  could ever handle responsibility?!"

Cartman looked appalled. "You think this is my fault?! You're the one who wanted to hold hands in the first place!"

"Don't give me that, you're the one that started all of this!" Kyle shouted, jutting a finger into Cartman's chest. "You're the one that started feeling me up in the first place! If I weren't in this situation I wouldn't have to worry about my parents ever finding out that I'm gay!!"

A look of surprise came over Cartman's face. Kyle was blaming him for their whole relationship. His tone and his words were like a knife to the gut. The harsh knot in Cartman's stomach really made so he'd practically been physically injured. He gritted his teeth, forcing a scowl and grabbed Kyle by the shoulders, clawing into them with his fingers. "Don't pull that bullshit on me, Kyle! I didn't make you do  _anything!!_ " He snarled.

Just about as soon as Cartman grabbed onto Kyle, Stan had lunged forward and yanked Cartman away, dragging him to the ground. His forearm was pressed tightly against Cartman's throat.

"Don't you dare..." Stan growled, squeezing on Cartman's neck. "I told you, you couldn't hurt him." Kyle stared at the two, his spell of anxiety very slightly broken by Stan's interruption.

"Stan--"

"Are you convinced yet, Kyle?" Stan asked, his voice firm and loud. "With all the trouble he puts you through, do you really think being with him is a good idea?"

Stan's words rendered Kyle speechless. Cartman was still in Stan's headlock, squirming more when he heard those words. He hissed out a frustrated breath, pain welling up inside him.

"Let me go!" Cartman growled. He was glad his voice didn't crack. He was fully expecting it to with the wave of emotions threatening to burst from him. This was too much. Kenny looked down worriedly at Cartman, then to Stan.

"Stan, maybe you should let him go..." Kenny suggested anxiously.

"No way." Stan said almost immediately. Kenny sighed, watching Cartman bite his lip, watched him try to force his head down. He was gonna break down soon, Kenny could see it.

"Let me talk to Kyle then. You can take Cartman inside." Kenny offered, stepping in front of Cartman to face Kyle. Stan seemed to oblige to this, standing up and pulling Cartman up with him. After some struggle Cartman and Stan were back inside, the door shut. 

Kenny stared sympathetically at Kyle. "Butters told us what happened." He said softly. Kyle said nothing, staring down at the ground. "I'm surprised you're still standing here."

Kyle heaved a shivery sigh. "I don't exactly want to go home."

"Your parents, huh?" Kenny sighed. "Well, they might not know yet... but I understand why you're scared."

Kyle stared up at Kenny apprehensively, but nodded. He knew others might have thought he was overreacting, but retaining his parents' respect meant a lot to him. Thank God for Kenny. It was comforting to have someone not trivialize his problems.

Kenny walked over to lean against the fence, nearer to Kyle. "It's scary, but it might be better this way. They needed to find out sooner or later, didn't they?"

Kyle released another shaky exhale, his eyes fogging from just the thought of his parents finding out. "I don't know dude... I didn't ever want them to know."

"Kyle, I know you want your parents to be proud of you and all... but is it really worth the pressure?" Kenny asked. "If you go along with what they say, then you'll start feeling like they're right. Like you're wrong, just for being you. You could end up hating yourself."

Kyle nodded unconsciously, because he'd already gotten to that stage before. "But even if I don't hate myself now, if they start hating me because they found out, then I'll hate myself too..."

Kenny sighed, putting his hand on Kyle's shoulder. "It feels safer if they don't know, right?"

"Yeah."

"But it's gonna eat at you if they never know." Kenny said, "You'll think about it everyday, and it'll drive you nuts. It doesn't have to be like that. If they find out you can stick up for yourself. You can fight back and show them you're fine with who you are. They might not like it at first, but the sooner they get used to it the better."

Kyle shook his head. "Dude, they're gonna hate me," he said helplessly.

Kenny shrugged. "They're gonna find out sooner or later. Definitely now. But hey... you haven't seen their reaction yet."

"..But they.."

"They love you, don't they? Maybe if they realize that someone they love is gay, it'll give them some new perspective on the whole thing." Kenny said, his voice still managing to be soft while interrupting Kyle. "Plus. I know you, Kyle. You're tough. If they give you hell, you'll give them hell right back. You'll fight for your happiness."

Kyle's eyes watered slightly, being filled with a warm emotion from what Kenny said to him. "..I.. I know you're right.." Still a bit hesitant about the whole situation.

"It's your life, Kyle. If you don't own it, everyone else will try to." Kenny said, gripping on Kyle's shoulder. "You gotta show your parents that you own it."

Kyle, to Kenny's mild surprise, actually broke a smile at him. "Thanks, Kenny. Really."

Kenny patted Kyle's shoulder firmly before pulling his hand away. "No problem."

Just then the two heard a faint crash from inside Stan's house. They stopped and stared. A few moments later they could hear the sound of furniture breaking, and the two of them hurried inside.

Upon entering Stan's house, Kyle and Kenny found Butters on the staircase, his knees to his chest.

"Butters, what's going on?" Kyle asked quickly, hearing faint sounds of rattling objects coming from somewhere in the house.

"They started fighting." Butters whimpered.

Just when Kyle thought things would be okay, Stan and Cartman were physically fighting. Kyle felt his heart clench up, then bolted towards the sound. As he neared the kitchen the noise got louder, but then everything went silent and he felt his stomach knot. What the hell was going on?! When he got into the kitchen he found Cartman lying on the floor and Stan clutching onto the kitchen counter. Stan's lip was a bit swollen and his left eye was dark and puffy.

"Stan, what the hell?!" Kyle uttered with a startled and weak voice. "Your face..."

Stan spat out blood into the sink beside him. "I'm fine. I got Cartman a lot worse. But he put up more of a fight than I thought."

Kyle quickly noticed Cartman wasn't saying anything or getting up. He hurried over to Cartman, crouching at his side. The damage was almost as bad as what his fight with Wendy had done to him, minus the head gashes and the broken teeth. Kyle felt a bit ridiculous checking Cartman's pulse, but it did make him feel better. He was just passed out. "Eric..." He mumbled, touching his hair. He'd suddenly realized what exactly it was he said in his fit of anxiety, and how it must've hurt Eric.

"You call him 'Eric?' " Stan asked, looking appalled. Kyle glared at Stan.

"Did you have to knock him out?" Kyle hissed, under his breath, but he knew Stan could hear him.

"Hey, it's not my fault! He hit me first! Ask Butters, he saw it!" Stan said, gesturing to Butters who had just walked through the door with Kenny.   
Kyle turned to Butters, looking him sternly in the eye. "What happened, Butters?"

Butters looked very anxious. "Well, when Stan dragged Eric back in he was yelling at him, saying that Eric took advantage of you or somethin'. And then Eric denied that and called Stan a shithead or something. ..It was really hard to hear a lot of it because they kept talking over each other." Butters admitted, "But then Stan was saying break up and Eric punched him in the eye."

During Butters' rambling Kenny had hurried over to Cartman's side, trying to resuscitate him. Stan caught Kyle looking back at him now that Butters was done.

"See? He hit first." Stan remarked.

"You have no business trying to break us up." Kyle chided with a hardened gaze.

A bewildered look overcame Stan's expression. "Kyle! You openly regretted being with him outside!"

Kyle's mouth dropped open for a moment, then retracted to a frown. "I didn't say that! I said it was his fault; that's all I said! And I only said it like that because he pissed me off!"

Stan's eyes were cold now, locked on Kyle, unmoving. "You never told me your relationship started with him feeling you up."

"...What difference does that make?" Kyle asked, hesitantly, his voice quieting.

"Kyle. That makes a world of difference." Stan deadpanned, staring at Kyle incredulously. "A guy touches you and you want to start a relationship? Do you really think that's how good relationships start?"

Kyle gritted his teeth. Oh, he loved it when his relationship was trivialized. Especially by people he respected. That was the fucking best.

"This isn't like you Kyle," Stan continued, "You wouldn't get forced into a relationship just because this bastard felt you up--"

Stan's voice was fleeting, as he was suddenly yanked forward by Kyle.

"Enough! I can't fucking stand it when you do this!" Kyle squeezed on Stan's shirt collar, his eyes blazing with anger. "This whole time you've known about my relationship you've been trying to undermine it!"  
Stan had a shocked look on his face. Kyle was smaller than him but the sheer anger in his eyes was enough to be intimidating. "Kyle, fuck's sake, you're with Cartman--"

"No, you know what, shut the fuck up!!" Kyle cut him off, shoving him away. "You don't get to tell me how I should feel about this! This is my boyfriend, my relationship -- MY fucking life! That means what I say goes, not what you say! You're not my god damn spokesperson!! If I wanted to break up with Cartman I'd tell him myself!"

Kyle's attention snapped to the sound of Cartman groaning, stirring back into consciousness. He turned his eyes to Cartman, stepping forward slightly. "...You okay?" He asked hesitantly. He realized he'd needed to say a lot more when Cartman met his eyes, his expression still filled with pain. Cartman said nothing. His lip was busted open again, his cheek swollen. He wiped the blood still leaking on his chin while looking away from Kyle. Kenny patted Cartman's shoulder, giving Cartman a sympathetic look. Cartman winced immediately at Kenny's touch. His body hurt all over and he could feel bruises developing already.

Cartman decided on keeping his eyes to the ground, not wanting to look at anyone. He wanted to take off but his body hurt, and he was still regaining his sense of balance. He felt like some kind of trapped animal, forced to stay here in pain and embarrassment. Cartman tuned everything out slowly, maybe as a defense mechanism. He let his own thoughts begin to swallow him. Then, Kyle's voice rang in his ears and he felt his heart sink.

"Can you guys me alone with Eric for a little bit?" He heard Kyle say softly. The intonation of his voice made Cartman nervous. From the way everything had been going, Cartman thought that Kyle was about to break up with him for sure. As the other boys left Cartman sat still on the ground, shutting his eyes tight. It was only Kyle looking at him now but somehow that was even worse.

Now he was just bracing himself, waiting for those words to come out. God, he didn't want to hear them. He just wanted to disappear. Kyle seemed to be incredibly silent, drawing out the overwhelming dread that filled Cartman. He wished Kyle would just say it already.

"I don't think my parents know yet." Kyle started off quietly. "If they did I think they'd call my phone by now. ...I sent a message to the user asking him to take it down. Maybe we can dodge a bullet here."

Cartman ignored the small talk, figuring Kyle was trying to ease him into this. It wouldn't work. No matter how Kyle tried, if they were breaking up it was going to hurt immensely. Cartman wanted to tell him to just say it, but at the same time that was the last thing he wanted to hear. He definitely wasn't about to rush it.

After a few moments of silence Kyle heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. That whole thing about it being your fault... my temper got the better of me." He said.

"It is my fault, isn't it?" Cartman asked, his voice hardly audible. He didn't look up, but he didn't need to. He knew Kyle was looking at him. He could practically feel Kyle's gaze on him. "...All this time, I've been trying so hard to make sure I did everything right. To make sure I didn't mess everything up..." Cartman's breath became embarrassingly arid, and that stacked onto his embarrassment, the weight of his words bearing down on his throat. "...I -- guess I overlooked the fact that -- .. this whole thing was a mistake, huh..."

Fuck, he was really about to cry, wasn't he?

That'd be the perfect cherry on top of this shit cake. First he's yelled at by his boyfriend, then gets the snot beaten out of him by his boyfriend's bodyguard. Now he was gonna cry on the fucking floor over a break up. How perfect... He cursed under his breath, punching the ground.

"These bruises fucking hurt," He said in a weak whisper, not wanting his wavering voice to be apparent.   
This feeling seemed familiar. Everything being ripped away from him all at once. It must've been God again. Giving Cartman everything he'd ever wanted, then tearing it away to leave Cartman in pain. That seemed to be his favorite trick. But sadly it wasn't getting old. The pain was as wrenching as it'd always been. But this time it seemed worse. Worse because it was Kyle he'd be losing.

Kyle stepped towards Cartman, kneeling down to him. "It wasn't a mistake, Eric." Kyle said softly. "..I'm... really happy you started what you did."

Cartman breathed out an empty laugh. "Right."

Kyle frowned, placing his hand on Cartman's shoulder. The skin Kyle touched was sore, but Cartman did nothing to protest. "I'm serious." Kyle's voice was slightly firm now.

"Don't patronize me..." Cartman insisted in a weak growl. "I've done awful shit my entire life. What the hell did I do to deserve you? ... I... I even harassed you into this relationship."

"...You're just lucky I didn't mind being felt up by you. " Kyle replied, after a bit of silence. "Look Eric ... I'm my own person. I don't need Stan to defend me. And if I really didn't want to be with you, I'd've knocked you out myself a while ago." He attempted to say this in jest, but his voice was soft, too concerned with Cartman's vulnerability. 

Cartman took his eyes from the ground, looking up at Kyle with glossy eyes. Kyle stared back at him, his eyebrows furrowing slightly upon seeing Cartman's expression. In that moment Cartman couldn't help but feel at a loss for words, not completely sure where he stood. Kyle looked down, taking a sigh. There seemed to be this understanding that Kyle needed to clarify.

"... And... if my parents do find out about us, you have to be here for me, okay?" Kyle asked, making eye contact. Cartman continued to stare, his gaze eventually dropping to the ground. As soon as he felt tears leaking through he pulled Kyle into a hug, resting his face against Kyle's shoulder. He felt a mixture of relief and discomfort, the bruises on his chest and shoulders pressing against Kyle's body. Kyle seemed surprised that Cartman wanted a hug right now. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Yeah," Cartman's voice was breaking badly right now, even in that single syllable. "It really hurts." Despite Cartman's words, he squeezed tighter to Kyle, his body beginning to tremble from the physical pain. Despite Cartman's relief the pain of the fear was still there, constricting him. He smothered his face into Kyle's jacket, sniffling. "You scared me, you asshole..." His voice was muffled, but Kyle could understand him. Kyle tenderly returned the hug, carefully placing his arms around Cartman's hips where he probably hadn't been hit. He stroked Cartman's back in a comforting manner.

These past few weeks, Cartman had been making a huge effort not to fuck up, huh... Kyle supposed it would've been easy for Cartman to mess up. And he did, a lot of times. But this'd be the third time Kyle had made Cartman feel like shit. The realization of that provoked a slight pain in Kyle's throat. He swallowed hard.

"Sorry."   
\--

In the next 15 minutes the two of them came down from the huge discomfort, managing to talk things through. Now that Kyle had a clear head he felt a lot better, especially since he'd messaged the user to take their photo down. It wouldn't stop anyone at school from talking about it, the picture had already been seen enough for people to start talking about it. But this way maybe he could prevent his parents from seeing the picture.

The two of them left for Eric's house after they'd sorted out as much as they could. Kyle would have to sort things out with Stan later. Right now diffusing the tension between him and Cartman would be too stressful. There were more important things to worry about. During the walk to Eric's house Kyle incessantly checked his phone, and Eric pouted during it.

"D'ya have to check your phone? I'm sure Stan'll get over you breaking up with him soon enough." He chided, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Kyle shook his head. "I can't believe you're still making jokes about me and Stan even when you're my boyfriend."

Eric shrugged. "I know true love when I see it." He said in a teasing manner.

"You wouldn't know true love if it crawled up your leg and bit the inside of your ass." Kyle retorted, his eyes still on his phone. "Besides, I'm not texting Stan. I'm checking facebook to see if that user responds."

Eric decided to brush off Kyle's comment, as strangely specific as it was. "You can't tell who it is?"

"No, their name's fake and their display picture is Mello."

"Ugh, gross." Eric rolled his eyes. "Well, at least we know it's one of our friends that's an anime nerd."

Kyle raised his eyes to Eric. "You think it's someone we know?"

"Uh, duh." Eric deadpanned. "Who'd give a shit about two guys holding hands unless they knew the people?"

"Well... people might still be bothered by it." Kyle answered, immediately thinking of how his parents would react. Eric turned his face to Kyle with a questioning look on his face.

"What is this, the nineties?"

Kyle scoffed. "Believe it or not, there are still plenty of people that resent homosexuality. Especially in this hick town. South Park's no San Fransisco."

"Oh, christ. Please don't bring up that god awful place." Eric groaned, shaking bad memories out of his head.

Kyle quirked a curious eyebrow. Well, San Fransisco did have a lot of 'hippies' in it, so he supposed Eric would hate a place like that automatically. "It's a pretty progressive city. I imagine it's pretty safe to live there as a gay couple."

"Pffuh. All their progressiveness has gotten them is progress in patting their own god damn asses." Eric remarked, looking irritated. " 'Myehh I'm so sensitive and considerate! Look at me! Myehh other people are so barbaric! I'm on a moral highground! Praise me!' " His impersonation was done in a high pitched voice, exaggerating his movements. Kyle gave a small breath of laughter in response.

"That's a gross generalization." He said, clicking his tongue. "Remember, I actually lived there for a little bit. It's really not as bad as you think it is."

Eric laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure you got such a good impression of San Fransisco while you were tripping on acid."

"I wasn't high the whole time!" Kyle protested immediately. After a moment of thought, he looked confusedly at Eric. "...Wait. How.. how did you even know I did acid over there?"

Kyle watched Eric's eyes widen, then avert away from Kyle. Suspicious.

"Stan told me." Eric blurted, the first thing he could think of.

Kyle frowned. "Stan swore to secrecy. And he wouldn't tell you of all people."

"Well shit, it was a while ago. Maybe Kenny told me." Eric said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I didn't tell Kenny." Kyle said, crossing his arms.

"Uhhhh, Ike told me."

"Oh good, that's slightly more believable." Kyle's sarcastic tone was very apparent right now. "Quit lying to me. We're boyfriends, aren't we?"

Eric sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. ... I know because... ugh. God dammit."

"What?" Kyle pressed.

"Because, Kahl. You were so fucking high on acid that I had to literally drag you onto the bus." Eric answered reluctantly, heat collecting in his face.

Kyle's eyes went wide with surprise. His movement stuttered a bit while he walked, but he stepped back into rhythm easily, still gawking at Eric.

"You did that? You... you saved me from that storm?"

"Ugh, yeah." Eric answered begrudgingly, his face getting hotter by the second. "Your whole fucking family. I had to pull your parents in one by one. You're lucky you and Ike were so light and I could carry both of you at once. We would've been dead if I got you in any later."

In that moment Kyle could've sworn his eyes couldn't get any wider. He blinked rapidly, trying to process the idea of Eric being selfless. "You, risked your life to save me?"

Cartman looked irritated and red. "Yep..."

"And my family?" Kyle added.

"See why I didn't tell you?" Eric muttered, ducking his face away.

"Actually, I don't. It seems like the type of thing you'd brag about, especially back then." Kyle said looking down, blushing slightly.

"Uh. No. I couldn't brag about saving your life. I'm not supposed to be nice. Especially not to you."

"Not  _supposed_  to be?" Kyle repeated, staring at Eric confusedly.

"Yeah. I was the mean kid. Couldn't be pulling that nice shit. It'd ruin my rep." Eric explained, vaguely. They were approaching his front door now. Eric took out his house keys.

Kyle frowned. What Eric seemed to be implying was that he could help it. That he could've been nice if he wanted to, but didn't. For the sake of his image. "You didn't _have_  to be the mean kid."

Eric's gaze met Kyle's as he unlocked the door, an unreadable look on his face. "Yeah I did, Kyle." His voice was nearly flat, no emotion in it. There was an eerie feeling in those passing moments. Eric opened the door and stepped in with Kyle. Kyle had this look on his face like he was lost in thought. He must've still been thinking of what Eric said. Probably overthinking it, Eric decided. He draped his arm around Kyle's shoulder, nuzzling his lips close to Kyle's neck. It seemed to do the trick. Kyle's face visibly relaxed, his eyes lingering on his boyfriend.

"Eric!"

The voice in the house jolted the boys away from each other. But from the sound of her voice and the look on her face, Liane had already caught them. She stood in the doorway of the kitchen, a scrutinizing look on her face. Shit, just when they'd begun to relax...

"Hey Mom." Eric said nonchalantly, though he looked at her questioningly. Liane crossed her arms. She looked like she was trying to pull off some kind of scolding expression, but after Kyle had seen his own Mother's scolding expression, this one seemed amateur.

"What are you doing with him?" Liane queried. Her voice had reached a firmness that Kyle wasn't familiar with hearing.

"What're you talking about?" Eric deadpanned.

"Eric," Liane frowned, crossing her arms.

" _What_ , Mom? I didn't do anything! Are you high or something?" Eric spat defensively.

"Don't lie to me. I saw that photo of you holding hands with Kyle." Liane mentioned, getting to the point now. Kyle felt his heart sink a little, looking slightly frantic at Eric. Eric seemed slightly surprised.

"Oh."

"He's the person you've been sneaking over?" Liane asked, raising her voice slightly. "The one you've been... Eric! Do you really think this is okay?"

Eric frowned. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Liane's expression seemed to falter then, as if waning under the hard look in Eric's eyes. "It's a sin." She answered simply. Her voice wasn't as stern as before when she said this.

Eric raised an eyebrow at her, staring incredulously. He knew his Mom was Catholic but it wasn't like she'd ever let that interfere with anything she did. For her to attempt to be adamant like this was odd. Why put in the effort now?

"Hah! Good one Mom. You almost got me." Eric said, putting his arm around Kyle again. Kyle bristled slightly at this, but was unsure what to make of this situation. He didn't even know what to say.

"I'm not joking. You need to let go of him this instant before you get in real trouble!"

"Trouble?" Eric repeated the word as if it were some kind of joke. "What're you gonna do, ground me?"

"I'm being serious." Liane warned. Eric rolled his eyes.

" Aw geez Mom, I'm so scared. Come on, Kyle." He guided Kyle, starting up the stairs. Liane stepped closer to them at the foot of the staircase while they went up.

"Kyle if you go into that room, I'm calling your mother!" Liane threatened. Kyle stopped in his tracks, looking back at Liane with a fearful look in his eye. He couldn't be like Eric. He couldn't just laugh off this threat. His parents were different from Liane. His parents had done frightening things.

"You better not." Eric growled, glaring at his Mom. She seemed to back away slightly, seeing that she'd effectively pissed off her son with this threat.

"Listen to me, sweety. This relationship is... it's not good for you. You have to end it." Liane pleaded.

"What are you talking about? With Kyle I've been happier than you've ever made me in my entire life! How could you possibly know what's good for me?!" Eric barked.

"...I'm not going to reason this with you." Liane answered. Eric's eyes narrowed on Liane, but she turned her eyes to Kyle, her gaze softening slightly. "Kyle, if you go home now I won't have to tell your parents."   
Kyle stared at his feet, feeling conflicted. She already made it clear that there was no use reasoning here... he really didn't want his family to find out.

"Knock it off, Mom!" Eric shouted, glancing a little worriedly to Kyle. Liane pulled out her cellphone.

"You have 30 seconds to leave this house." Liane told Kyle, beginning to go through her contacts. "If you're not out by then--" Liane cut herself off in surprise when Eric walked over to her, looking her dead in the eye with anger.

"If you say anything to his parents, I'll make you regret it." He growled. Thanks to adolescence he was about an inch taller than his Mom now; but he didn't need his height to intimidate her. "You ruin this for me, I'll make sure you never have a long-term relationship with anyone ever again." His voice was a low threatening growl. "You screw me over and I'll do it right back. You'll be alone for the rest of your life. I swear it, Mom."

Silence filled the room for what seemed like way too long, but it was only a few seconds. After a moment longer of holding eye contact, Eric swiped the cellphone from Liane's hand. She made no move to stop him. She looked somewhat embarrassed, frustrated as she walked away.

Eric's threatening expression completely disappeared by the time he'd turned back to Kyle, slipping his arm around his waist as they walked back up the steps.

"Dude, that wasn't cool." Kyle said as he walked into Eric's room. Eric pulled away from Kyle's hip to lock the door, then placing his Mom's cellphone on his nightstand.

"It wasn't?"

"No, Eric. You can't just threaten your Mom like that." Kyle said in a scolding manner. Though he was more bothered by the fact that Liane gave in so easily. The idea that Eric could just control his Mom like that, even though it'd been obvious before that he had the 'upper hand,' was very alien to Kyle. It was nothing like how his parents responded to him. If Kyle tried that he'd probably get a few good slaps for it.

"Oh -- but she can threaten me?" Eric asked, raising an eyebrow at Kyle.  
"She was threatening me, not you."

"Same thing. She threatens my relationship, I'll threaten all of hers right back." Eric retorted, slipping off his bag and neatening his shelves a little bit. "Besides, I'm the man of this house. I can do what I want."

Kyle sighed. "I guess it's pretty useless to ask you to have a little respect for your parents."

Eric looked strangely at Kyle, then sitting down on his bed next to where Kyle had settled. "You believe in that 'respect your elders' bullshit?"

Kyle frowned. "It's not bullshit. They deserve to be respected."

Eric clicked his tongue. "I can't respect anyone who gets in the way of my happiness."

Kenny's words seemed to echo in Kyle's mind now. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. Maybe beyond Eric's selfishness he did have a point. Maybe if Kyle fought back a little more, maybe.. maybe that'd earn him some respect with his parents. At least enough to have a say in who he liked. ...It was difficult to imagine, because the whole time he'd be standing up for himself, he'd be scared shitless that they'd take everything away from him if he failed to convince them.

Kyle was torn away from his thoughts easily when Eric's face became close to his, coaxing him out of his nervousness with soft kisses. When Kyle began to kiss back Eric pushed his hat off, threading his fingers through Kyle's red hair. He lowered his lips to brush softly against Kyle's neck. Kyle's hands glided over Eric's torso; the usual places he'd touch when they were kissing like this. Despite his gentleness Eric flinched back, wincing.

"Sorry," Kyle said softly, remembering Eric's bruises. Eric made a small noise of acknowledgement, shifting closer to Kyle. Kyle ran his fingers through Eric's hair. It seemed like Eric was willing to ignore the pain of his bruises just to kiss Kyle. Kyle smiled slightly, but he didn't like that Eric had to even deal with these bruises. "You really should control your temper. At least around Stan."

"I don't care if I get beaten up." Eric retorted, but his voice was soft, too engaged with his closeness to Kyle. "I'll fight anyone if they try to tell me I can't be with you." He mumbled against Kyle's neck, planting tender kisses across it. His lip was still busted so he avoided kissing firmly. "I'll fight Stan, I'll fight my mom... I'll fight  _your_  mom."

"Jesus, is that supposed to be flattering?" Kyle said, laughing softly. Though he knew Eric was more talking about standing up for them than he meant physically fighting, the idea of him getting in a physical fight with their moms seemed silly in his head.

Eric rested his head on Kyle's shoulder, smirking playfully. "You sound kinda flattered."

Kyle looked away, sighing with a smile on his face. Having Eric all over him like this made it hard to fight the relaxing atmosphere. But Kyle tried to remain serious. "Don't fight my mom. She'd fuck you up." He said softly.

Eric laughed. "If she finds out, she'll definitely try to end us. Can't make any promises."

"Seriously though..." Kyle murmured.

Eric looked up at Kyle, seeing worry in his eyes. He clenched the fabric of Kyle's jacket, leaning up to kiss his lips again. "I'm serious too, Kyle... you're my...." He paused, feeling a swell of emotions. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to say just then, but it was something too true, too vulnerable for him to say out loud. He stifled his thoughts, nuzzling in the crook of Kyle's neck. "You're mine." He decided on.

Eric's words made heat creep onto Kyle's cheeks. Kyle wasn't sure how he should respond to that vocally. But he felt a strong emotion building inside him when Eric said it. Something so powerful it was scary. A kind of emotion that he couldn't properly name.

Just when he was about to say something to Eric, Kyle's phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out to check what it was. A facebook message...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit. I hate when I work on something forever and then can read through it so quickly.;; I worked forever on this too. Aghh


	12. Always

When Kyle saw the name of the sender, his heart immediately dropped. Sheila Broflovski. The message read as,

**'Kyle, we need to have a talk. Come home immediately.'**

This could only mean one thing. She saw it. She definitely saw the photo. Considering his parents knew Cartman was gay, they probably knew exactly what it meant. Kyle glanced up worriedly in Eric's direction, who looked at him questioningly. He glanced back down at his phone, his heart beginning to race as he tapped back a response.

**'What are we going to talk about?'**

"Who is it?" Eric asked, taking note of Kyle's worried expression. Kyle glanced up at Eric hesitantly. 

"It's my Mom," Kyle uttered, just as he got a response on Facebook. 

**'Kyle. Don't play dumb. I raised you better than that. Come home right now.'**

When Kyle looked back up Eric had left his side. He glanced around the room looking unnerved. He decided to text back, his heart pounding in his head, in his hands. 

**'We can talk. We're talking right now. I don't have to go over there.'**

Maybe he could make a compromise here. For how much he respected and loved his parents, he didn't really want to be right at the mercy of their anger. Sheila's response came immediately.

**'Do I have to come get you?'**

Kyle's wrist was suddenly grabbed and he yelped in surprise, yanking away slightly. The grip on him was frighteningly solid. He was slightly relieved to see it was Eric holding him, not his Mother. Eric pulled him forward. 

"We have to leave." Eric murmured, his eyes glancing toward the window. Kyle stared questioningly at Eric who glanced over at his doorway. Eric stepped towards the door to lock it, then turned on the TV in his room. "Come on." He said to Kyle while opening the window. He quickly climbed through it, toeing the treebranch below him. 

"Where are we going?" Kyle asked hesitantly, shoving his phone in his pocket. 

"Somewhere your parents can't find you, dipshit." Eric grumbled, carefully slipping down from the window. Eric's vagueness made Kyle hesitant but he ended up complying. It's not like he wanted to be at the mercy of his Mother right now. He followed, slipping out of Eric's house through the trees. 

They took a very rugged path, squirming through bushes and ducking through alleyways, climbing continuous fences. Every time Kyle saw the flash of a car's headlights he could feel himself panic, wondering for split seconds if they'd been caught. They eventually made it past the neighborhood area, reaching downtown. They were getting further and further away from home, nearing the rural areas of south park. Kyle was finally starting to process what Eric might be thinking. 

"We're not running away, are we?!" Kyle hissed under his breath, keeping his head low as they passed by people walking down the downtown sidewalks.  
Eric glanced back at Kyle, a slightly frustrated look on his face. "No, god Kyle, I know better than that. We're just finding a place to hide out."

By the time they'd reached their destination the sun had set, and the two boys were out of breath. Now Kyle and Eric walked into a familiar, dense wooded area. With their knees tired now, they stumbled into a familiar clearing. The leaves in the trees that towered over them almost completely covered the dusk sky, traces of moonlight peeking through and dancing calmly on the ground as the leaves moved in the wind. There was no way anyone could find their way in unless they’d been there before. It looked somewhat different during the dusk, but inviting nonetheless. 

"What are we doing here?" Kyle asked, not really quite sure what the plan was. The two of them took in the ambiance of the forest for a moment, Eric's grasp lessening on Kyle's hand until only their fingers were touching. 

"If I actually punched your Mom in the face you'd probably be pretty mad." Eric said. It sounded like a joke, but he didn't say it like one. "Your parents probably wouldn't listen to you. They'd just lock you in your house and keep you away from me. So I'm thinking, you can just talk to her while hiding until you reason this whole thing out." 

Kyle stared questioningly at Eric, unsure about this whole thing. He wasn't exactly all for the idea of disobeying his parents like that. They'd probably be incredibly pissed whenever he decided to come back. But maybe Eric was right about this. He had to take control of his life by any means necessary, and had to resist others controlling it. Even if it meant making them worry. Kyle's phone went off, a ringtone blaring from it. His Mom was calling him. He declined the call immediately. His thumbs went to the screen again, taking a deep breath. 

**'Type to me. Ask me whatever you want.'**

Kyle gave a slight exasperated laugh. "This is so wrong. I can't believe I'm doing this." Really, it was crazy. If someone had told him a month ago that he'd be hiding from his parents to keep his relationship with Eric Cartman safe, he would've thought they were insane. Yet, here he was, and it made total sense to him. It felt nearly like something he had to do. Eric's fingers dragged agross Kyle's forearms, urging him to sit down. 

The dusk was transitioning to a night sky, the grass Kyle and Eric sat in illuminated only by the glow of Kyle's phone. He received another text.

**'Do you think this is funny, young man? Running away from home?'**

He answered back, **'I'm not running. I'm hiding. I don't think you'd respect my opinion in person.'**

"She's not being very receptive." Kyle sighed, glancing at Eric beside him. Eric crossed his arms.

"Figures. That control freak bitch won't even fuckin negotiate." He growled in an irritated manner. 

"Don't call her a bitch." Kyle said nearly automatically. His phone went off again. 

**'You really think you're going to get me to feel sorry for you by hiding like this? When we find you you're going to be in so much trouble.'**

"She's threatening me." Kyle said aloud. Eric's arm came around Kyle, and he leaned in to read over his shoulder. Kyle looked up at Eric apprehensively. "...Maybe this was a mistake." 

"They won't find you here." Eric reassured him. The look on Eric's face was somewhat different than what he was saying. There was a slight hint of anxiety in his eyes. "Maybe talking to your Dad would be better." 

Kyle shook his head. "My Dad doesn't give me an inch. At least with my Mom, I can hope to gain some emotional appeal... Maybe." He turned to his phone to type another message.

**'You saw it, right?'**

The picture. He just needed to confirm this before he started talking about it. Even though he was positive that he knew the answer. Sheila answered.

**'Of COURSE I did'**

Fuck. Knowing that was coming didn't make the impact of it any easier. Kyle frowned, pursing his lips. Eric seemed to be trying to comfort him by rubbing his shoulder. Despite appreciating it, it did very little for him while he stared at those words.

**'I look really happy in that picture. That's because I am. I'm happy with him.'** He typed back. He could only hope those words would wake his Mom up a little. Upon sending the message Kyle noticed Eric's lips caressing his cheek. He loosened up slightly at the contact, warmth spreading across his cheeks. His phone buzzed again.

**'You're 15 years old. It's natural for you to want to go against the way you were raised. To spite your parents. Kyle, come home before you make this any worse than it's already gonna be.'**

Christ. Is that what she thought this was? She was so quick to be dismissive...

**'If I come home, will you accept who I am?'** Kyle typed.

**'You're FIFTEEN! You don't know who you are!'**

The words made Kyle wince outwardly. Even though emotionally Kyle felt like his Mom was wrong, he was young; it's not like he had everything figured out. She had a point in this sense. Driven by frustration, he quickly typed back.

**'I know enough about who I am to know who I like. That's more than you can say about how much you know me.'**

Eric's hand came over Kyle's hand, coaxing it down. Kyle looked up from the screen to gaze into Eric's eyes. He looked unnerved, but it was obvious he wasn't trying to show it. 

"You think they'll try to keep you away from me?" Eric asked. Kyle frowned.

"They'll definitely try." He answered. He was sure about that. Kyle found Eric's hands squeezing on both of his. Eric then suddenly brought their lips together, kissing him needfully. Kyle's phone slipped out of his hands, landing on his lap as he was kissed deeply, trying to shake off the surprise and find the pace of the kiss. Despite his anxiety he could feel his physical needs coming to the front of his mind. But still. "Is now the time?" He whispered, in the midst of a parting of their lips.

"It might be the last time." Eric sighed in an breathless manner, kissing Kyle again, removing his hat and threading fingers through Kyle's curly red hair. Eric's words echoed loud in Kyle's mind. This being the last time they did anything like this wasn't just a possibility anymore. It was almost definitely going to be the outcome of this. 

His parents would probably force him to stay in his room whenever he wasn't at school, constantly check on him, tell him how wrong he was for being happy with a boy. This might really be the last chance he got. 

Kyle pulled Eric close, now kissing feverishly, running his hands through Eric's hair. He could feel Eric's hands pressed tight against his hips. Kyle sighed into the kiss, his hands coming over Eric's shoulders, squeezing tightly.

"S-Shit..!" Eric suddenly hissed, flinching back. It broke the intimacy a little bit, and Kyle felt a twinge of guilt, remembering Eric's bruises.

"Sorry, I forgot..." Kyle retracted his hands from Eric's shoulders. 

Eric only pulled Kyle closer. "Don't stop. I'll deal with it." 

Kyle frowned, tentatively grasping onto the fabric of Eric's jacket. As he carefully unbuttoned it Eric shrugged it off of his shoulders. Eric wasn't so eager when Kyle started taking off his shirt, but it eventually came off as well. Even in the dim lighting of the woods, he could see dark bruises smudged in the light skin of Eric's torso. All over his chest and some on collarbone and his ribs. It was almost as if Stan intentionally struck all the places Kyle liked to put his hands.

"God Dammit, Stan..." Kyle grumbled. Eric laughed lightly despite himself. 

"We can improvise." Eric smiled softly. Kyle nodded pushing his hips up against Eric, eventually maneuvering so that Eric's back ended up on the grass. Eric seemed surprised by Kyle's sudden act of pinning him, but Kyle's crotch grinding into his own convinced him that this was perfect. Kyle squeezed gently on Eric's wrists as his lips and tongue slid against Eric's. He rocked his hips against Eric's at a tantalizingly slow pace. Eric moaned softly, his hands gripping on Kyle's waist as he continued to grind into him. 

At the sound of Kyle's phone buzzing the two of them stopped what they were doing, freezing in place. His Mom had probably just replied. He moved to get off of Eric, but Eric's hands held him in place.

"She can wait."

Kyle sighed. "She can't. I need to talk to her."

"Kyle... I need you." Eric pleaded, his grip tight on Kyle, his voice trembling ever so slightly. The tone of Eric's voice made Kyle's heart melt. Kyle leaned down to Eric, their foreheads barely touching so that he could look into Eric's eyes. 

"You need me, huh?" Kyle said, a little teasingly. But he couldn't help being overwhelmingly touched by those simple words. Eric brushed Kyle's hair out of his face, smiling up at Kyle as if savoring the look of him. 

"It's pretty cold out here." Eric replied, catching onto Kyle's teasing tone. Kyle laughed softly, bringing their lips together. Eric held tightly onto Kyle's shoulders as they kissed. Kyle didn't want to keep his Mom waiting too long; their conversation was important. But maybe for just a little longer he could keep Eric warm. Eric's hands went all over Kyle's body as they usually did. With this context it seemed like he was doing it so he'd remember how it felt, to touch Kyle this way. He might never get to do it again. When their lips parted, Eric sighed. "We'd be fucking so hard right now if I didn't have these god damn bruises." 

Kyle glanced up at Eric, bewildered, but then scoffed in an amused manner. "I'm fine with this." 

"I'm not. These bruises hurt like hell. It's fucking distracting." Eric said softly, stroking Kyle's cheek. For Eric to say those words with that tone was strange. Kyle was hearing very loving words instead of the ones actually being spoken. He nuzzled Eric's cheek softly. His smile left him as soon as he glanced over to the phone again. Eric nudged Kyle up with his hands very slightly, supposedly as permission. Kyle climbed off of Eric and checked his phone. This time it was actually his Dad. He gulped unconsciously, checking the message.

**'I told you this would happen, wouldn't I? I told you to stay away from him. Now you're brainwashed into thinking you like him, just like he wanted. Listen to me, Kyle. Don't let him control you like this. This isn't what you actually want.'**

Kyle rolled his eyes, groaning. "My Dad seriously believes you tricked me into being gay." 

Eric's boisterous laughter told Kyle that he found it even more ridiculous than Kyle did. "I can do that? Damn, I'm good." He laughed, shaking his head.

Kyle smiled slightly, but his smile disappeared when he went back to typing.

**'Should I just let you control me instead, Dad?'** Kyle bit his lip, his heart sinking slightly. **'That's what this is about, right? You want to be the one that's controlling your son's life so he can look good for the family..'**

Kyle could feel himself getting angry now. He stared right at his phone until he got a response.

' **You're not listening to me, Kyle. That's not actually what you think. You're being tricked.'**

**' I'm NOT a mindless drone for other people to control. I can think for myself. I AM thinking for myself. And this is what I want. You're the one who's not listening, Dad. You're the one who's trying to trick me.'**

"When did you start liking me anyway?" 

Eric's sudden question caught Kyle off guard, his once clenched fingers loosening around his phone. He stared at Eric blankly, not fully processing his question. Eric clarified more. "I mean, was it before or after we started fooling around?" 

Kyle glanced down at his phone, then looked at Eric again, shrugging slightly. "...Honestly, whatever feeling I had for you got a lot stronger after we started fooling around. ..But, I think there's this part of me that always liked something about you. -- Even though before all this, you were a real piece of shit." 

Eric's surprised expression formed into a smirk. "I'm not a piece of shit now?" 

Kyle smiled weakly. "You haven't done anything shitty lately. So I guess not." This was mostly teasing. Kyle knew Eric had been improving. He'd been making a conscious effort to be good for Kyle. 

Kyle paused, then laughing softly. He remembered back in his childhood, those uplifting feelings of hope he'd get when he thought Cartman had changed. How happy it would make him for those moments. He never understood why it made him so happy to think that Cartman was getting better. But it always had. Thinking about it that way it was almost like this moment, realizing that Eric had been getting better, was on par with a childhood dream of Kyle's coming true. It wasn't exactly what he'd imagined it to be. But it was perfect nonetheless. Perfect because it was real. 

Kyle scooted into Eric's lap, holding him close again. He felt Eric stiffen up with their chests pressing together, the fabric of his jacket brushing against Eric's bruises. Kyle ducked his head to press his lips softly against the bruise of his collarbone. 

"Kyle," Eric breathed out, fidgeting slightly from the touch. It was hard to make out if Eric's reaction was positive or negative. Admittedly Eric didn't even know himself. The feeling was so intense yet intimate. 

**_Bzzzz._ **

Kyle sighed softly as he checked his phone again. He rested his head on Eric's shoulder as he read the message. 

**'If you don't come home right now, I'm calling the police to look for you. I'll have Eric put in jail if I have to, Kyle.'**

The warmth in Kyle's body seemed to leave him in the instant that he read these words. His Dad was a lawyer. These weren't empty threats. Kyle cared about Eric, and his Dad knew that well. The last thing he wanted was Eric's life to be ruined because of this. Kyle looked up at Eric and realized he'd read the text himself. Eric's eyes had become misty, defeat spelled out on his expression. 

Kyle stroked Eric's hair in an attempt to comfort him. "I gotta go home." He said softly. Sadly. Eric nodded with his eyes cast to the ground. Kyle typed back on his phone.

**'Okay, you win Dad. I'm on my way home.'**

Kyle stood up, pulling Eric up with him. Once Eric put on his shirt and jacket again, Kyle gripped onto his hands. "Come on, walk me home."  
On the walk home there was a deafening silence, nothing but the rustling of the leaves in the dense woods. In the passing flashes of moonlight, Kyle could see Eric's eyes glistening. Kyle gripped tighter to Eric's hand. "They won't be able to keep us apart forever." Kyle said softly, his voice starting to tremble. He felt like he was going to cry himself.

"One day they'll forget about this and stop being so careful. Then we can sneak around again."

Eric choked out a pained laugh. "By the time they forget about this, you'll already be over me. You'll find someone better than me."

Kyle's stomach clenched up, feeling hurt by the words. But he understood that it was Eric's fear more than his prediction. "I won't."

"...You can't promise something like that..." Eric said solemnly.

Probably the most painful part of that was that Kyle was scared that he might be right. It's natural for people to grow apart, especially when they had no contact with each other. They were nothing special, no exception to the rule. 

Kyle leaned into Eric as they walked. He held the pain at bay. He wanted nothing more than to focus on these moments, on the fact that he still had Eric for now.  
When they finally turned the corner to Kyle's house it was about 8:30 pm. Their families were there. Gerald, Sheila, Ike, Liane. And Stan and Kenny were there along with Wendy. Kyle felt Eric's hand grip tighter to his, his steps stuttering. Both of them were heavy-hearted with dread. When Gerald saw the two of them holding hands he hurried over to yank Kyle away from Eric. 

"That's enough! I don't expect Eric to have any shame, but you should know better, Kyle!" Gerald growled. Sheila came over and pulled Kyle into a tight hug, holding him protectively.

"My poor baby! Don't worry, once you spend some time away from him you'll come back to your senses." Sheila assured Kyle. Kyle finally managed to tear his eyes away from the ground, looking up at his mother questioningly. 

"What're you going to do?" He asked weakly. 

"You're going go to a private school from now on. You're not getting your phone until you graduate, and I'll be keeping a close eye on you when you're at home. You won't be around this boy any longer." Sheila answered.

Kyle frowned worriedly. "I won't get to see any of my friends anymore?" 

"Sure you will. Stan and Kenny can come over whenever they want to." Sheila said.  
Kyle glanced up at Eric, seeing nothing but pain in his eyes. He probably knew something like this was coming as well as Kyle did. Eric said nothing, made no reaction. But the look in his eyes said everything. Seeing Eric like that was torture. Kyle wanted nothing more than to hold Eric and tell him it was okay. But it wasn't. They weren't going to be able to speak to each other anymore. 

"You're going to ruin Kyle's life just because he liked someone you didn't like?" Kenny asked, completely taken aback by the whole situation. It seemed to surprise the parents that Kenny even spoke up since he was the quiet kid. 

"We're not ruining his life! We're protecting him. He's young. He doesn't know what he's doing." Sheila retorted, squeezing on Kyle's wrist. 

"Ms. Cartman, I think it's about time you kept your boy under control. Keep his filth away from our son." Gerald growled. 

Liane nodded, touching Eric's arm. "Of course. I'll take my son home." Eric jerked away from Liane's touch, his eyes hardening. Liane backed off slightly with an apprehensive stare. "Eric, don't be this way." 

"That's enough, Eric. You're lucky your Mother isn't going to punish you for this. You deserve the worst for taking advantage of my son's emotions!" Sheila said sternly, waving a scolding finger at Eric. Eric gave Sheila merely a passing glance. Despite feeling a mix between being utterly defeated and increasingly enraged he knew better than to say anything now. He didn't want to make the situation any worse than it already was. 

They'd taken everything. Kyle's phone, his freedom... any chance of him seeing Eric again until he graduated. Kyle's mind was screaming for him to fight back somehow. Show them that his life wasn't theirs to take. But what could he do? Any resistance he showed would just make things worse. His parents had him in a vice grip. He couldn't do or say anything to show them that this life was his own.

This was the last he was going to see of Eric. ..The last expression he'd see was this look of fear, this look of sheer pain. 

"Let's go, Kyle. You're going straight to bed after all the trouble you've been giving us." Sheila chided while pulling Kyle back. Kyle couldn't tear his eyes away from Eric even while being pulled by his Mother. He planted his feet in place for a moment, stopping his Mother from dragging him. "Kyle!" 

Kyle decided they wouldn't win completely. They couldn't take this final memory away from him. He'd say this infront of everyone, and there wasn't a damn thing they can do about it. 

"I love you, Eric." Kyle spoke loud and clear, his voice overflowing with emotion. It seemed to make everyone freeze for what seemed like forever. In his peripheral vision he could see the surprised and appalled looks of his parents. But the most important look was the look he would keep forever, that wide-eyed, stunned expression of Eric's.  
He always felt like Eric knew, but this was different than just knowing. He said the phrase. He wanted Eric to know without a doubt. He wanted Eric to remember, because Kyle knew he didn't want to forget. 

Eric's surprised expression turned to a tearful one, biting his lip. He wanted nothing more than to run over to Kyle and steal him away. For everything else to disappear. He balled his hands into fists. "I love you too..." Eric choked back a sob. "I love you too, Kyle," He said it louder, made sure Kyle could hear.  
Kyle smiled with tears in his eyes. Sheila pulled him towards the house, scolding him the whole way. Gerald and Ike followed her. At least this way his last memory of Eric wasn't completely ruined. He'd always have that to hold onto. 

Stan and Wendy silently went home, leaving Kenny, Liane and Eric standing out on the sidewalk. Upon seeing Eric's broken expression Kenny stepped forward. "I'm here for you, man. Whatever you need." Kenny said, rubbing his shoulder. Without thinking Eric somehow ended up in a hug with Kenny, sobbing into his shoulder. He wasn't even allowed to see Kyle anymore, for a few years. All he would have was what he remembered.

___

Kyle soon found that his parents made good on their threats. He soon found himself in private school. He kept telling himself to make the best out of it. But the pain hit him hard. There was this empty feeling in his chest most days. They'd failed, and it was his fault. He was the only one he could possibly blame. He didn't know who uploaded the photo... he didn't know if he'd ever find out. 

It was something he was constantly reminded of. The word had somehow gotten to his private school. Not because they cared about gay relationships, but because Eric Cartman's name was notorious. Kyle was seen as 'that kid that was crazy enough to date a psychopath' more than he was as 'that gay kid.'  
Kyle managed to find happiness in this circulating picture, however. Because it was something visual he could keep. This picture of them together, holding hands.. smiling at each other. They looked... so happy... He felt a conflict of pain and happiness every time someone showed it to him, asking if it was really him.  
3 months passed. Kyle would sometimes cry himself to sleep. He found himself distraught at the thought that he might be forgetting about Eric. His parents couldn't take this from him. They wouldn't take the actual love. He wouldn't let them. He couldn't let them.

He would still see his friends, every chance he got, because he couldn't make friends at his new school. These snooty rich kids weren't his people; he couldn't stand them. The saddest part was that he could tell that Stan and Kenny weren't enjoying themselves around him, because his mother was constantly supervising him. Kyle told himself to be strong. Told himself to fight. But the thought of him having to endure this until he graduated was torture.

One night before Stan and Kenny left, Kenny insisted on hugging Kyle. He told him everything would be okay. Later that night as he took off his jacket, he found a letter in his pocket that Kenny allegedly snuck in while hugging him. Upon opening it, his heart skipped a beat when he recognized it as Eric's handwriting.

_I can never stop thinking about you. Kenny told me about how sad you always look. I hope you're missing me as much as I'm missing you. I miss everything about you, Kyle. I don't know when Kenny will get this to you, but I hope you still love me. Because I still love you. I love you so much. I always loved you, and I will always love you. I'll never stop even if you don't love me anymore and find someone else. You're the best thing I've ever had._  
 _**\- Love, Eric** _  
_Don't forget about me_

When Kyle finished reading his throat was heavy and tears were stinging at his eyes. In the envelope was also a printed picture of the photo taken at the party. Kyle nearly burst into tears when he saw it, barely holding himself together. His Mother was at his door, so he had to be careful. The moment she heard him sniffling she knocked on his door, and he hid the photo and letter under his bed. She came in and had a long talk with him. He didn't remember what about. All that mattered to him was that those feelings were still there. And he swore to hold onto them as long as he could. 

When he was forced to go to sleep he pulled out a flashlight from his drawer. He grabbed a pen and paper from his backpack and started writing. He wished he was allowed to have his internet connected. But the only time he was allowed to connect to it was when his parents were in the room. He wished he had something instead of his shaky hand struggling to write on paper in the night with the while tears fogged his vision. Nonetheless, it was something.

_I really do miss you, Eric. My parents are fucking tyrants. It's like they're seriously trying to break me. I think without this picture it'd be much easier for them. Thank you for giving me this. I really needed something to hold onto. I smile every time I see it. I still love you. I never want to forget you. I need to figure something out, it's fucking hell without you. I got this message on November 1st, wrote it the same night... Please send me more. I miss you so much it hurts._  
 ** _\- Love, Kyle._**  
 _I love you so much, Eric._

His message wasn't quite as mushy as Eric's was. But he decided against rewriting it. That wasn't his style. He wanted this message to sound exactly like him, to let Eric know that he was still the way he was when they were together. He stuffed the letter in his pajama pocket. He felt his heart flutter in a way that reminded him of the way things used to be. That familiar warmth that he hadn't felt in months. He slept and dreamt of Eric. It wasn't even an intimate dream. He just dreamt of them bickering at each other, laughing about stupid shit they watched together. He missed that life so much. 

Things got a little better in the following weeks. He was able to receive and send messages to Eric thanks to how good Kenny was at planting and pickpocketing. His parents didn't even suspect anything. Through the messages they kept themselves updated on their days. There was always a small bit about how much they missed each other. But there was otherwise this taunting quality in their letters that seemed so familiar. Kyle felt riled up, alive again for the first time in months. 

He'd usually be against the whole 'waiting for somebody' notion. But there wasn't a drop of doubt that he was going to keep loving Eric. He wouldn't let go just because his parents wanted him to let go. He wouldn't let them win. Not them, not the person that spread that photo. Not anybody. Eric gave him a liberation that nobody else would give him. There was no way Kyle was about to let him go. 

**December 4th, Tuesday 6:00 PM.**

Apparently Kyle had been good enough to go out to the arcade with Stan and Kenny. Though it was something very miniscule, Kyle appreciated it all the same. He had to be home by 9 PM, but Kenny suddenly decided that they should leave at 6 PM. 

"Come on man, this is my first time I've been allowed anywhere," Kyle said nervously. Kenny's soft smile took Kyle off guard. He didn't understand what it was for. 

"Don't worry, you won't be going home."

Kenny and Stan eventually led Kyle to a familiar looking car. A woman stepped out, and Kyle's heart pounded. Liane... Kyle's parents had advised her to keep a close eye on Eric, and from Eric's letters, she'd been doing so pretty decently. What was she doing here? More importantly, why was he being led to her?  
Liane smiled at Kyle when she saw him. "Good evening Kyle," She cooed in a sweet voice. Kyle stared blankly at her, on edge and suspicious. He looked at Stan and Kenny questioningly. Stan sighed.

"We'll explain it on the drive over. But to clarify... we're taking you to see Cartman." He said, putting a hand on Kyle's shoulder.

Kyle felt his stomach do a few backflips at the notion. Even if they were going to see Eric, why would Liane help them? Against Kyle's better judgement, he got into the car and allowed Liane to drive them home. 

"I'm sorry for everything that's happened, sweety. You really didn't deserve all this." Liane said softly as she drove them to Eric's house. 

"Wait.. I thought you said that being a homosexual is a sin." Kyle said apprehensively. 

"Everybody sins." Liane replied. Kyle frowned, feeling confused and slightly frustrated at the idea that Liane was trivializing the change in her opinion. 

"Listen Kyle, Liane didn't actually think that. She was warned by Wendy that Cartman would be bad for you, and Wendy convinced her that you guys being together was a bad idea." Stan explained. Kyle paused, his mouth dropping open. 

"...Why would she... god dammit!" He growled. 

"Sorry dude. I should've suspected something from how much she always objected to your relationship. But she felt guilty about it and confessed about it on Thanksgiving." Stan explained, averting his eyes from Kyle. He seemed ashamed of himself. 

"Does Eric know about that?" Kyle asked, his tone still angry.

"No, Eric doesn't even know we're taking you to see him." Kenny answered for him. "I've had my talks with Liane. I got her to agree to take you to see him last minute." 

The anger left Kyle, suddenly feeling anxious at the thought of seeing Eric again. "..What if my parents call?" Kyle asked hesitantly.

"We'll just have Kenny pretend to be you. Easy." Stan replied simply. Kenny nodded. He had always had a good voice range, and Kyle's voice sounded similar to Kenny's anyhow.  
They pulled up to garage and Kyle suddenly felt his heart drop into his stomach. He glanced at Stan hesitantly. "So... you're ok with me being with Eric now?" 

Stan shrugged. "You guys are stubborn. Cartman won't like anyone but you and vice versa. So whatever makes you happy, man." 

"You don't need our approval, Kyle. Go get your man." Kenny said, urging Kyle out of the car. As Kyle walked up the steps he became hyper-aware of his outfit. He'd told Eric about his shitty uniform in letters and how they were making him neatly cut his hair, but he briefly wondered if Eric would recognize him. But hell, despite how agonizingly long it felt, it'd only been 5 months. Eric wouldn't forget him that easily. 

He soon realized that Liane and the rest of them were patiently waiting in the car. Jesus, they were going to let them have alone time too? This seemed too good to actually be happening. Kyle quickly made his way up the steps, up to Eric's room where he heard a game going on. Eric's response to the knock on his door was an annoyed "What?"

Kyle smirked to himself. "Should I wait for your game to finish?" He called through the door, a teasing quality in his voice. Despite the sound of the game still going, Kyle heard quick footsteps going to the door, the sound of the door unlocking. He couldn't help smiling when he saw that look on Eric's face once he opened the door. It was so similar to the look he last saw when he told Eric that he loved him. Almost as if his life had been paused, waiting until this moment to start up again.

"K..Kyle, you..." Eric gasped. It was obvious that so many emotions went through him in that moment that he could barely get a word out. "How did..?" 

Kyle draped his arms around Eric's shoulders, pulling him into a kiss. He'd already gone through the phases of surprise himself. Now that Eric was here all he wanted to do was to skip all that and savor every second from now until 9 pm. Eric reacted by kissing back passionately, his arms wrapping around Kyle in a warm embrace while they kissed. They stood in the doorway like that for minutes on end, just kissing and holding each other. The game in the background was mildly distracting, only being pulled to Kyle's attention when they caught their breath.

"Sounds like your team's mad at you." Kyle joked, noting the angry muffled voices from Eric's computer. Eric turned to the computer only for a few seconds, closing the game he was in. 

"Boo fucking hoo. They'll win the next game." Eric said nonchalantly, going back up to Kyle and pulling him onto his bed. Kyle's thighs bracketed Eric's hips as they continued to kiss. Kyle hadn't been able to touch and squeeze the places he liked to the last time they did this, thanks to those bruises. He was more than happy that they were long gone. Eric pulled back slightly, though still holding Kyle close. "Seriously though.. how did you escape?" Eric asked softly. He still seemed like in disbelief of Kyle's presence. 

Kyle laughed softly. Eric made it sound like he'd been in prison. But he supposed that he had been in one of sorts. "They let me go to the arcade since I've been doing good in school. And I guess Kenny set something up so I could meet up with you." He answered, nuzzling the crook of Eric's neck. 

"Ken's a fucking blessing." Eric sighed happily, trailing his hands up Kyle's back. He pushed his lips to Kyle's again. "God, I missed you..." He murmured between kisses. 

"I can tell," Kyle laughed softly, looking up at his hand written letters plastered on Eric's wall above his bed. "Nice wall, dork." 

Eric raised an eyebrow at Kyle. "Dork?" He echoed. "No one says that, Kyle. Have your mormon classmates been rubbing off on you?" 

Kyle's cheeks heated a little in embarrassment, because they probably had. "Whatever, you know what I mean."

"I'm guessing you meant 'fag' or 'pussy', because that's what a normal person would say." Eric remarked.

"Yeah well, I'm gonna call you a dork just to spite you." Kyle retorted playfully, nibbling at Eric's cheek. 

"Well at least you got something out of that geek school. You look great in this outfit." Eric said, tugging Kyle's tie. 

Kyle smirked, only mildly surprised that Eric had complimented his school uniform. He always seemed like the guy to appreciate that kind of thing. "Just don't ruin it."  
"I'd never." Eric said, his grasp trailing up the length of Kyle's tie. "Take it off, I'll ruin everything else." His voice had reached that tone that Kyle loved so much. The seductive tone that he hadn't heard in way too long. Kyle undo his shirt the instant he heard that voice, almost forgetting about his tie. Eric reminded him about it, loosening it as they kissed. He took off the tie quickly, mindfully discarding it on the dresser. His slacks came off just as quickly and easily too. Still he made sure to not wrinkle them, knowing he needed to make sure he didn't leave evidence that he was here. When he turned back to Eric he saw that the lube was already out, the condom being rolled over Eric's hardened cock.

"Right to the point, huh?" Kyle teased. Eric pulled Kyle close, hoisting him on his hips. 

"I missed everything about you. Every word, every smile, every inch of your body." He replied breathily, lustful eyes staring into Kyle's. "Didn't help that you looked so neat in that suit. Now I just wanna make a mess out of you." 

Kyle moaned lightly as Eric nipped his collarbone, Eric's hands threading through Kyle's neat hair. He curled it in his fingertips while he sucked on Kyle's neck. Kyle bucked his hips, pushing their erections together. Eric shuddered at the contact. His fingers went to Kyle's entrance. It'd been a while since Kyle felt stretched, but that just made the experience better than he'd remembered it. 

"Don't make too much of a mess. I still need to go back after this and act like nothing happened." Kyle reminded him. He didn't really want to kill the mood, but it was true and he didn't want to get caught again. Eric's fingers lubed Kyle thoroughly, Kyle gasping as Eric thrusted his fingers. 

"Your parents don't matter right now. Nobody does. Nothing exists except for us in this room." Eric said as he pushed up against Kyle's prostate. Kyle arched into it. 

"E-Eric..."

Eric pulled Kyle's chest to his, necking him gently to make sure not to leave a bruise. "I love you so much, Kyle..." he said in a breathy moan. Kyle found himself grateful that he made the word comfortable between them. It seemed to make the appeal of this that much more intense, more intimate, with just a single phrase. Kyle perched himself up, kissing Eric tenderly on the lips. As Eric kissed back he caressed Kyle's skin, his hands eventually going to Kyle's hips, lining his entrance with the head of his cock. 

"God... I want this to last forever.." Kyle moaned recklessly, lowering himself on Eric. Their movements were drawn out as if both of them were savoring it, the two of them holding each other close as they were consumed by the feel of each other's bodies. Kyle glanced up at the letters on Eric's wall, his hands plastered on Eric's back as they rocked. "Fuck, Eric, I fucking love you," He whispered in a sharp breath.

The mixture of arousal and love was perfect, better than he'd remembered. They came and kissed, never letting go of the other even while sweat drenched the two. There was about half an hour where neither of them said anything, just kissed and held each other. 

"I wonder if they're still waiting outside," Kyle eventurally murmured. Eric blinked up at him, staring blankly.

"People are waiting outside?" He asked. Kyle played mindlessly with Eric's hair.

"Mm, yeah, your Mom, Stan and Kenny." Kyle answered. Eric seemed confused at the answer, glancing towards his door. He was curious now but he didn't exactly want to get up. That meant not being near Kyle.

"I thought my Mom thought we were sinning." Eric muttered.

"Uh.. about that." Kyle said hesitantly, wondering if he should tell Eric. "She was warned by someone that we shouldn't be in a relationship. So that wasn't really her opinion. She was kinda just saying that." 

Eric frowned. "God, I fucking knew it! It was Stan, wasn't it?" 

"No, it was Wendy." Kyle sighed. "And relax, will you? I only have an hour left with you before I have to go home." 

Eric sighed, making his tense muscles ease. "She probably posted that picture too." He grumbled.

"We don't know that much." Kyle said. He'd been pretty pissed too when he found out, honestly, but he didn't want Eric to be pissed like he was. "But anyway... things are getting better lately. Maybe if I keep doing well they'll give me my freedom back." 

"Hah. You better win some kind of award. Part a red sea or some shit." Eric joked. Kyle smiled, kissing Eric softly again.  
The two of them spent the last hour talking, playing games in Eric's room. The sense of familiarity that the two got from it was so liberating. Kyle was thankful that he wasn't broken by his parents, that he'd gotten a chance to be reminded of how this felt. He never wanted to forget.

The two of them decided that they should take pictures together before Kyle left. Eventually 9 PM came around, and Kyle had to leave. They spent the last minutes kissing, telling each other how much they loved each other. They were nearly teary eyed, half with happiness of being able to see each other, the other half sadness with having to leave again.  
As Kyle walked back to the car, he brushed his fingers against the photos they took together. Something to hold onto until he could see Eric again, however long that would be. He dreaded going back to his prison that was disguised as his home. He fought the sensation to run back in, to insist on staying in that house. But he couldn't do that. That would be too reckless.

The whole art of sneaking was to exploit the smallest facets, while not being reckless. Kyle smiled to himself, because considering how many times they got caught, Eric and Kyle sucked at not being reckless. But if they did it long enough, maybe they'd master that art. 

**FIN.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agh.. I really hope this chapter was okay. This completes the series. I had some other ideas, but I didn't have enough to fill everything. I'm sorry for the bad pacing, but I hope this is a good enough finale. This whole story was free form. Swear I'll do better next time;;


End file.
